Drury Plaza Hotel San Antonio Riverwalk vs Merchandise Mart

Comparing the Drury Plaza Hotel San Antonio Riverwalk and the Merchandise Mart is an interesting exercise, because even though they are located in different cities (San Antonio, TX and Chicago, IL), both were designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst & White and finished within in the same year. This gives us the chance to see how the same architect's ideas were expressed in different urban contexts almost simultaneously.

The Merchandise Mart is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 341ft (104m) with 25 floors above ground, while the Drury Plaza Hotel San Antonio Riverwalk reaches 279ft (85m) with 24 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 Drury Plaza Hotel San Antonio Riverwalk and the Merchandise Mart were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Art Deco style.

At the time, this style was at the height of its popularity. So Graham, Anderson, Probst & White followed what was in many ways expected at the time, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms rather, than breaking with convention.

The Drury Plaza Hotel San Antonio Riverwalk is primarily hotel, while the Merchandise Mart is primarily commercial.

Originally, the Drury Plaza Hotel San Antonio Riverwalk was designed for commercial, but over time it was converted to hotel. The Merchandise Mart by contrast has maintained its original role.

The Drury Plaza Hotel San Antonio Riverwalk incorporates a 4-star hotel with 306 rooms. More information is available at the official website.

Both the Drury Plaza Hotel San Antonio Riverwalk and the Merchandise Mart 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.