American Radiator Building vs 20 Exchange Place Building

American Radiator Building
20 Exchange Place Building

Comparing the American Radiator Building and the 20 Exchange Place Building is interesting because they both rise in New York, NY, yet they were conceived by two different design teams, Howells & Hood and Cross & Cross, and were completed at different points in time. They were finished more than 7 years 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
103m
Floors
23

Height & Size

Height
236m
Floors
57

The 20 Exchange Place Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 774ft (236m) with 57 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 20 Exchange Place 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 20 Exchange Place Building came later, when the style was already more established.

Main use
Hotel

Uses

Main use
Residential

The American Radiator Building is primarily hotel, while the 20 Exchange Place Building is primarily residential.

However, both of them have shifted purpose since their completion. The American Radiator Building evolved from commercial to hotel, while the 20 Exchange Place Building moved from commercial to residential.

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

The 20 Exchange Place Building offers 762 residential units.

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 20 Exchange Place Building
Howells & Hood Architect Cross & Cross
1923 Construction Started 1930
1924 Year Completed 1931
Art Deco Architectural Style Art Deco
Commercial Original Use Commercial
Hotel Current Use Residential
23 Floors Above Ground 57
1 Floors Below Ground 4
103 m Height (m) 236 m
7,200 m² Usable Area (m²) 67,841 m²
4 Number of Elevators 27
Frame Structure Type Frame
Steel Vertical Structure Material Steel
No Facade Structural? No
Brick Main Facade Material Stone
NY State NY
New York City New York
40 52 W. 40th St Address 20 Exchange Place