Ally Detroit Center vs Two International Place Building

Comparing the Ally Detroit Center and the Two International Place Building is an interesting exercise, because even though they are located in different cities (Detroit, MI and Boston, MA), both were designed by Johnson/Burgee Architects 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 Ally Detroit Center is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 607ft (185m) with 43 floors above ground, while the Two International Place Building reaches 538ft (164m) with 35 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 Ally Detroit Center and the Two International Place Building were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Postmodernism style.

Both buildings were completed when the Postmodernism style was already past its peak. This makes them feel like late echoes of the movement, more reflective of continuity or nostalgia than of cutting-edge design at the time.

Both the Ally Detroit Center and the Two International Place Building are primarily commercial towers, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

The Ally Detroit Center also provides 2070 parking spaces.

The two buildings opted for different structural and facade solutions.

The Ally Detroit Center uses a Frame system, which relies on a regular grid of columns and beams to sustain its weight, while the Two International Place Building uses a Framed Tube In Tube system, that combines a strong central core with a perimeter tube of columns.

And when it came to the facade, the Curtain Wall went with a Curtain Wall facade, which uses a lightweight glass curtain wall hung from the structure, while the Two International Place Building opted for a Modular facade, that employs prefabricated panels, often mixing solid surfaces with smaller windows.