Commonwealth Promenade Apartments vs Two Illinois Center

Comparing the Commonwealth Promenade Apartments and the Two Illinois Center is particularly interesting because they share the same skyline in Chicago, IL, and were both designed by Mies van der Rohe. However, they were completed more than 16 years apart.

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

The Two Illinois Center is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 374ft (114m) with 32 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 Two Illinois Center were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the International Style style.

The Two Illinois Center 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 Commonwealth Promenade Apartments was built when the style still carried greater cultural weight.

The Commonwealth Promenade Apartments is primarily residential, while the Two Illinois Center is primarily commercial.

Both the Commonwealth Promenade Apartments and the Two Illinois Center 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.