900 North Michigan Building vs 712 Fifth Avenue Building

Comparing the 900 North Michigan Building and the 712 Fifth Avenue Building is an interesting exercise, because even though they are located in different cities (Chicago, IL and New York, NY), both were designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates and finished within just one year apart. This gives us the chance to see how the same architect's ideas were expressed in different urban contexts almost simultaneously.

The 900 North Michigan Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 871ft (265.5m) with 66 floors above ground, while the 712 Fifth Avenue Building reaches 650ft (198m) with 52 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.

Both the 900 North Michigan Building and the 712 Fifth Avenue Building were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Postmodernism style.

At the time, this style was at the height of its popularity. So Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates followed what was in many ways expected at the time, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms rather, than breaking with convention.

The 900 North Michigan Building follows a mixed-use model, combining retail, commercial, residential and hotel. In contrast, the 712 Fifth Avenue Building has remained primarily commercial.

The 900 North Michigan Building incorporates a 5-star hotel with rooms. More information is available at the official website.

The 900 North Michigan Building offers 106 residential units.

The 900 North Michigan Building also provides 1330 parking spaces.

Both towers share the same structural solution, a Frame 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.

However, when it comes to the facade, both buildings use different approaches. The 900 North Michigan Building uses a Curtain Wall facade, while the 712 Fifth Avenue Building uses a Masonry facade.

A Curtain Wall facade like the one seen in the 900 North Michigan Building uses a lightweight glass curtain wall hung from the structure, while a masonry facade like the one seen in the 712 Fifth Avenue Building features a heavy masonry skin that gives it a more clasical look.