BMA Tower vs Trump International Hotel and Tower

Comparing the BMA Tower and the Trump International Hotel and Tower is compelling because they were both designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, yet they stand in different cities (Kansas City, MO and Chicago, IL), and were completed over two decades apart.

What this will allow us to see, is how the same firm's approach adapted to different places in different periods of time.

The Trump International Hotel and Tower is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 1181ft (360m) with 92 floors above ground, while the BMA Tower reaches 272ft (83m) with 19 floors above ground.

Despite being taller and having more floors, Trump International Hotel and Tower has less total built-up area than BMA Tower.

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 BMA Tower was designed in the International Style style, while the Trump International Hotel and Tower reflects the principles of Contemporary.

At the time of their completion, both styles were well established. This makes the comparison especially interesting, because both buildings represent a dominant aesthetic at a particular point in time.

Built 46 years apart (1963 vs 2009), these two buildings are a perfect example of how different architectural styles have shaped the architectural landscape of our cities over time.

The Trump International Hotel and Tower follows a mixed-use model, combining hotel, residential and commercial. In contrast, the BMA Tower has remained primarily residential.

Originally, the BMA Tower was designed for commercial, but over time it was converted to residential. The Trump International Hotel and Tower by contrast has maintained its original role.

The Trump International Hotel and Tower incorporates a 5-star hotel with 339 rooms. More information is available at the official website.

In terms of capacity, the BMA Tower offers 106 apartments, while the Trump International Hotel and Tower provides 486 units.

The Trump International Hotel and Tower also provides 960 parking spaces.

Both towers share the same structural solution, a Frame 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.

However, when it comes to the facade, both buildings use different approaches. The BMA Tower uses a Window Wall facade, while the Trump International Hotel and Tower uses a Curtain Wall facade.

A Window Wall facade like the one seen in the BMA Tower uses panels fitted between floor slabs, leaving slab edges visible, while a curtain-wall facade like the one seen in the Trump International Hotel and Tower uses a lightweight glass curtain wall hung from the structure.