Axa Equitable Center vs 599 Lexington Avenue Building

Comparing the Axa Equitable Center and the 599 Lexington Avenue Building is especially interesting because they share much in common. Both rise in New York, NY both were designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes, and they were completed in the same year.

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

The Axa Equitable Center is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 751ft (229m) with 54 floors above ground, while the 599 Lexington Avenue Building reaches 653ft (199m) with 51 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.

The Axa Equitable Center was designed in the Postmodernism style, while the 599 Lexington Avenue Building reflects the principles of Modern.

The 599 Lexington Avenue Building represents a late expression of the Modern, a style already in decline in 1986 when it was completed. By contrast, the Axa Equitable Center followed the then mainstream Postmodernism, embodying the dominant architectural direction of its time.

Both the Axa Equitable Center and the 599 Lexington Avenue Building were designed to serve as commercial towers, and that has remained their main use since their completion, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

Both the Axa Equitable Center and the 599 Lexington Avenue 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.