340 on the Park Building vs Atwater Apartments Building

Comparing the 340 on the Park Building and the Atwater Apartments Building is especially interesting because they share much in common. Both rise in Chicago, IL both were designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz, and they were completed within 2 years of each other.

This overlap gives us a unique opportunity to understand how Solomon Cordwell Buenz approached different commissions in the same urban context and historical context during a short period.

The 340 on the Park Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 672ft (204.8m) with 62 floors above ground, while the Atwater Apartments Building reaches 554ft (169m) with 53 floors above ground.

340 on the Park Building also offers more total built-up area, a total fo 995,402 sqf (92,476m²), which is about 228,410 sqf (21,220m²) more than what the Atwater Apartments Building offers.

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 340 on the Park Building and the Atwater Apartments Building were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Contemporary style.

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

Both the 340 on the Park Building and the Atwater Apartments Building were designed to serve as residential towers, and that has remained their main use since their completion, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

In terms of capacity, the 340 on the Park Building offers 344 apartments, while the Atwater Apartments Building provides 480 units.

Both towers provide significant parking capacity, with 340 on the Park Building offering 468 spaces and the Atwater Apartments Building offering 401.

Both the 340 on the Park Building and the Atwater Apartments Building rely on a Frame structural 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.

They also employ the same type of facade, a Curtain Wall facade.

A curtain wall is a non-load-bearing facade hung from the structural frame. It is anchored to floor slabs and transfers only its own weight and wind loads, allowing for sleek, glassy exteriors.