Chicago Temple Building vs The Bell Building

Comparing the Chicago Temple Building and the The Bell Building is particularly interesting because they share the same skyline in Chicago, IL, and were both designed by Holabird & Root. However, they were completed more than 42 years apart.

This offers a unique perspective on how the architect's style and the city's architecture evolved over time.

These two towers present an interesting contrast in their proportions. The Chicago Temple Building rises higher at 568ft (173m), while the The Bell Building reaches 427ft (130m). However, the The Bell Building accommodates more floors with 31 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 The Bell Building has more compact floors averaging around 4.2m 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.

The Chicago Temple Building was designed in the Neogothic style, while the The Bell Building reflects the principles of Modern.

Both towers were built when their respective styles were already past their prime. This makes them feel more like late continuations rather than groundbreaking statements, showing how architectural traditions can linger even as tastes shift. The fact that they were built 42 years apart also suggests that architectural fashions often outlast their supposed end dates in practice.

The Chicago Temple Building is primarily religious, while the The Bell Building is primarily .

Originally, the The Bell Building was designed for commercial, but over time it was converted to . The Chicago Temple Building by contrast has maintained its original role.

The two buildings opted for different structural and facade solutions.

The Chicago Temple Building uses a Frame system, which relies on a regular grid of columns and beams to sustain its weight, while the The Bell Building uses a Framed Tube In Tube system, that combines a strong central core with a perimeter tube of columns.

And when it came to the facade, the Masonry went with a Masonry facade, which features a heavy masonry skin that gives it a more clasical look, while the The Bell Building opted for a Curtain Wall facade, that uses a lightweight glass curtain wall hung from the structure.