Chase Tower vs University Apartments

Comparing the Chase Tower and the University Apartments is interesting because they both rise in Chicago, IL, yet they were conceived by two different design teams, Charles Murphy and I. M. Pei, and were completed at different points in time. They were finished more than 8 years apart.

This contrast within the same city allows us to see how different creative minds interpreted the evolving needs of Chicago across time.

Let's take a closer look!

The Chase Tower is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 868ft (264.6m) with 61 floors above ground, while the University Apartments reaches 308ft (94m) with 10 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 Chase Tower and the University Apartments were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the International Style style.

At the time, this style was at the height of its popularity. So both Charles Murphy and I. M. Pei followed what was in many ways expected of them, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms, rather than breaking with convention.

The Chase Tower is primarily commercial, while the University Apartments is primarily residential.

The University Apartments offers 540 residential units.

The University Apartments also provides 220 parking spaces.

Both the Chase Tower and the University Apartments 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 Window Wall facade.

A window wall system is installed between floor slabs. It is simpler and faster to build than curtain walls, but exposes slab edges and requires careful detailing to avoid thermal bridges.