American Radiator Building vs 21 West Street Building

Comparing the American Radiator Building and the 21 West Street Building is interesting because they both rise in New York, NY, yet they were conceived by two different design teams, Howells & Hood and Starrett & van Vleck, 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!

The 21 West Street Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 374ft (114m) with 31 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.

Both the American Radiator Building and the 21 West Street 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 21 West Street Building came later, when the style was already more established.

The American Radiator Building is primarily hotel, while the 21 West Street 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 21 West Street 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 21 West Street Building offers 293 residential units.

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