7 World Trade Center vs 111 West 57th Street

7 World Trade Center
111 West 57th Street

Comparing the 7 World Trade Center and the 111 West 57th Street is interesting because they both rise in New York, NY, yet they were conceived by two different design teams, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and SHoP Architects, and were completed at different points in time. They were finished more than a decade apart.

This contrast within the same city allows us to see how different creative minds interpreted the evolving needs of New York across time.

Let's take a closer look!

Height
226m
Floors
51

Height & Size

Height
435m
Floors
84

The 111 West 57th Street is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 1427ft (435m) with 84 floors above ground, while the 7 World Trade Center reaches 741ft (226m) with 51 floors above ground.

Of course, each project may have faced different briefs or regulatory constraints, which we don't really know about and could also explain the outcome.

Style
Contemporary

Architectural Style

Style
Contemporary

Both the 7 World Trade Center and the 111 West 57th Street were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Contemporary style.

At the time, this style was at the height of its popularity. So both Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and SHoP Architects followed what was in many ways expected of them, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms, rather than breaking with convention.

Main use
Commercial

Uses

Main use
Residential

The 7 World Trade Center is primarily commercial, while the 111 West 57th Street is primarily residential.

The 111 West 57th Street offers 60 residential units.

Structure
Frame
Facade
Curtain Wall

Structure & Facade

Structure
Frame
Facade
Curtain Wall

Both the 7 World Trade Center and the 111 West 57th Street rely on a Frame structural system.

A frame structure uses a grid of columns and beams to carry the building's loads. This frees the walls from structural duties, allowing for flexible floor plans and larger windows.

They also employ the same type of facade, 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.

7 World Trade Center 111 West 57th Street
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Architect SHoP Architects
2002 Design Ended 2015
2002 Construction Started 2015
2006 Year Completed 2022
Contemporary Architectural Style Contemporary
Commercial Current Use Residential
51 Floors Above Ground 84
1 Floors Below Ground 2
207 Last Floor Height 346
226 m Height (m) 435 m
29 Number of Elevators 14
Frame Structure Type Frame
Steel Vertical Structure Material Reinforced Concrete
Poured Concrete Over Metal Decking Horizontal Structure Material Reinforced Concrete
No Facade Structural? Yes
Glass Main Facade Material Glass, Terracota, Broze
Tishman Construction Main Contractor JDS Construction Group
Silverstein Properties Developer JDS Development Group
Jaros Baum & Bolles MEP Engineer Jaros Baum & Bolles
WSP Cantor Seinuk Structural Engineer WSP
Permasteelisa Group Facade Consultant Buro Happold
NY State NY
New York City New York
250 Greenwich Street Address 111 West 57th Street