Commonwealth Promenade Apartments vs 900-910 North Lake Shore

Comparing the Commonwealth Promenade Apartments and the 900-910 North Lake Shore is especially interesting because they share much in common. Both rise in Chicago, IL both were designed by Mies van der Rohe, and they were completed in the same year.

This overlap gives us a unique opportunity to understand how Mies van der Rohe approached different commissions in the same urban context and historical context during a short period.

The 900-910 North Lake Shore is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 259ft (79m) with 29 floors above ground, while the Commonwealth Promenade Apartments reaches 253ft (77m) with 27 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 Commonwealth Promenade Apartments and the 900-910 North Lake Shore were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the International Style style.

At the time, this style was at the height of its popularity. So Mies van der Rohe followed what was in many ways expected at the time, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms rather, than breaking with convention.

Both the Commonwealth Promenade Apartments 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.

The 900-910 North Lake Shore offers 524 residential units.

Both the Commonwealth Promenade Apartments and the 900-910 North Lake Shore 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 Curtain Wall facade.

A curtain wall is a non-load-bearing facade hung from the structural frame. It is anchored to floor slabs and transfers only its own weight and wind loads, allowing for sleek, glassy exteriors.