555 California Street Building vs Random House Tower

Comparing the 555 California Street Building and the Random House Tower is compelling because they were both designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, yet they stand in different cities (San Francisco, CA and New York, NY), and were completed over two decades apart.

What this will allow us to see, is how the same firm's approach adapted to different places in different periods of time.

The 555 California Street Building was designed in the Postmodernism style, while the Random House Tower reflects the principles of Contemporary.

The 555 California Street Building was completed when the Postmodernism was still emerging, which gave it a pioneering character. The Random House Tower, on the other hand, followed the more established Contemporary, reflecting the prevailing conventions of its day.

The Random House Tower follows a mixed-use model, combining commercial and residential. In contrast, the 555 California Street Building has remained primarily commercial.

The Random House Tower offers 101 residential units.

Both towers provide significant parking capacity, with 555 California Street Building offering 450 spaces and the Random House Tower offering 150.

The two towers rely on different structural systems, reflecting distinct engineering strategies.

The 555 California Street Building uses a Framed Tube In Tube structural system, which combines a strong central core with a perimeter tube of columns, while the Random House Tower uses a Frame system, that relies on a regular grid of columns and beams to sustain its weight.

Yet, when it comes to their facade, they both employed the same solution, a Curtain Wall facade.

A curtain wall is a non-load-bearing facade hung from the structural frame. It is anchored to floor slabs and transfers only its own weight and wind loads, allowing for sleek, glassy exteriors.