Columbus Plaza vs 900-910 North Lake Shore

Comparing the Columbus Plaza and the 900-910 North Lake Shore is interesting because they both rise in Chicago, IL, yet they were conceived by two different design teams, Fujikawa Conterato Lohan and Associates and Mies van der Rohe, 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!

The Columbus Plaza is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 469ft (143m) with 47 floors above ground, while the 900-910 North Lake Shore reaches 0ft (m) with 29 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 Columbus Plaza and the 900-910 North Lake Shore were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the International Style style.

The Columbus Plaza was designed at a moment when the International Style style was already in decline, making it more of a lingering expression of the movement. In contrast, the 900-910 North Lake Shore style was already in decline, making it more of a lingering expression of the movement. In contrast, the 900-910 North Lake Shore was built when the style still carried greater cultural weight.

Both the Columbus Plaza and the 900-910 North Lake Shore were designed to serve as residential towers, and that has remained their main use since their completion, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

In terms of capacity, the Columbus Plaza offers 533 apartments, while the 900-910 North Lake Shore provides 524 units.

Both towers share the same structural solution, a Frame 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.

However, when it comes to the facade, both buildings use different approaches. The Columbus Plaza uses a Window Wall facade, while the 900-910 North Lake Shore uses a Curtain Wall facade.

A Window Wall facade like the one seen in the Columbus Plaza uses panels fitted between floor slabs, leaving slab edges visible, while a curtain-wall facade like the one seen in the 900-910 North Lake Shore uses a lightweight glass curtain wall hung from the structure.