Chicago Temple Building vs Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse

Comparing the Chicago Temple 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 8 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 (8 years isn't that much time when it comes to urban context and architecture).

The Chicago Temple Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 568ft (173m) with 23 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.

The Chicago Temple Building was designed in the Neogothic style, while the Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse reflects the principles of Art Deco.

The Chicago Temple Building represents a late expression of the Neogothic, a style already in decline in 1924 when it was completed. By contrast, the Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse followed the then mainstream Art Deco, embodying the dominant architectural direction of its time.

The Chicago Temple Building is primarily religious, while the Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse is primarily governmental.

Both the Chicago Temple 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.