Bell Telephone Building vs One South Broad Building

Comparing the Bell Telephone Building and the One South Broad Building is an interesting exercise, because even though they are located in different cities (Pittsburgh, PA and Philadelphia, PA), both were designed by John Torrey Windrim and finished within just one year apart. This gives us the chance to see how the same architect's ideas were expressed in different urban contexts almost simultaneously.

The One South Broad Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 472ft (144m) with 28 floors above ground, while the Bell Telephone Building reaches 338ft (103m) with 20 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 Bell Telephone Building and the One South Broad Building were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Art Deco style.

At the time, this style was at the height of its popularity. So John Torrey Windrim 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 Bell Telephone Building and the One South Broad 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 Bell Telephone Building and the One South Broad 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 Masonry facade.

A masonry facade gives the building a heavier, more traditional appearance. It often conceals a frame structure behind it, creating the look of solid walls without carrying the main loads.