Chicago Temple Building vs Fisher Building

Comparing the Chicago Temple Building and the Fisher Building is interesting because they both rise in Chicago, IL, yet they were conceived by two different design teams, Holabird & Root and D. H. Burnham & Company, and were completed at different points in time. They were finished over two decades 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!

These two towers present an interesting contrast in their proportions. The Chicago Temple Building rises higher at 568ft (173m), while the Fisher Building reaches 443ft (135m). However, the Fisher Building accommodates more floors with 30 levels above ground, compared to 23 floors in the Chicago Temple Building.

This suggests different approaches to interior space design. The Chicago Temple Building has an average floor-to-floor height of approximately 7.5m, while the Fisher Building has more compact floors averaging around 4.5m each. The taller building's more generous floor heights might indicate grander interior spaces, higher ceilings, or different programmatic requirements.

These different proportions likely reflect the specific needs each building was designed to serve, whether driven by zoning regulations, client requirements, or the intended use of the spaces within. The contrast shows how architects can achieve different spatial experiences even when working with similar overall building scales.

Both the Chicago Temple Building and the Fisher Building were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Neogothic style.

Both buildings were completed when the Neogothic style was already past its peak. This makes them feel like late echoes of the movement, more reflective of continuity or nostalgia than of cutting-edge design at the time.

The Chicago Temple Building is primarily religious, while the Fisher Building is primarily commercial.

The Fisher Building offers 184 residential units.

The Fisher Building also provides 964 parking spaces.

Both the Chicago Temple Building and the Fisher 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.