Chicago Board of Trade Building vs Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse

Comparing the Chicago Board of Trade Building and the Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse is compelling because they were both designed by Holabird & Root, yet they stand in different cities (Chicago, IL and Saint Paul, MN), and were completed more than 7 years apart.

What this will allow us to see, is how the same firm's approach adapted to different places at roughly the same time (7 years isn't that much time when it comes to urban context and architecture).

The Chicago Board of Trade Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 604ft (184m) with 44 floors above ground, while the Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse reaches 259ft (79m) with 22 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 Chicago Board of Trade Building and the Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Art Deco style.

The Chicago Board of Trade Building was designed at a moment when the Art Deco style was already in decline, making it more of a lingering expression of the movement. In contrast, the Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse style was already in decline, making it more of a lingering expression of the movement. In contrast, the Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse was built when the style still carried greater cultural weight.

The Chicago Board of Trade Building is primarily commercial, while the Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse is primarily governmental.

Both the Chicago Board of Trade Building and the Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse 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.