American Radiator Building vs 2 Park Avenue Building

American Radiator Building
2 Park Avenue Building

Comparing the American Radiator Building and the 2 Park Avenue Building is interesting because they both stand in New York, NY, and were completed within 4 years of each other, but they were designed by different architects.

This offers a unique glimpse at how rival designers approached projects in the same city during the same era.

Height
103m
Floors
23

Height & Size

Height
110m
Floors
28

The 2 Park Avenue Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 361ft (110m) with 28 floors above ground, while the American Radiator Building reaches 338ft (103m) with 23 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
Art Deco

Architectural Style

Style
Art Deco

Both the American Radiator Building and the 2 Park Avenue Building were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Art Deco style.

Back then, theArt Deco was still an emerging movement, so both giving it a pioneering role. By contrast, the 2 Park Avenue Building came later, when the style was already more established.

Main use
Hotel

Uses

Main use
Commercial

The American Radiator Building is primarily hotel, while the 2 Park Avenue Building is primarily commercial.

Originally, the American Radiator Building was designed for commercial, but over time it was converted to hotel. The 2 Park Avenue Building by contrast has maintained its original role.

The American Radiator Building incorporates a 4-star hotel with 130 rooms. More information is available at the official website.

Structure
Frame
Facade
Masonry

Structure & Facade

Structure
Frame
Facade

These two towers illustrate the many possible ways to combine structure and enclosure in skyscraper design.

American Radiator Building 2 Park Avenue Building
Howells & Hood Architect Buchanan & Kahn Architects
1923 Construction Started 1926
1924 Year Completed 1928
Art Deco Architectural Style Art Deco
Hotel Current Use Commercial
23 Floors Above Ground 28
103 m Height (m) 110 m
7,200 m² Usable Area (m²) 92,903 m²
4 Number of Elevators 26
Frame Structure Type Frame
Steel Vertical Structure Material Steel
No Facade Structural? No
Brick Main Facade Material Bricks
Rene Paul Chambellan Collaborating Artist Léon Victor Solon
NY State NY
New York City New York
40 52 W. 40th St Address 2 Park Avenue