Equitable Life Building vs Regions Center

Comparing the Equitable Life Building and the Regions Center is an interesting exercise, because even though they are located in different cities (Los Angeles, CA and Birmingham, AL), both were designed by Welton Becket & Associates and finished within within 3 years of each other. This gives us the chance to see how the same architect's ideas were expressed in different urban contexts almost simultaneously.

The Equitable Life Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 453ft (138m) with 34 floors above ground, while the Regions Center reaches 390ft (119m) with 30 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 Equitable Life Building and the Regions Center were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the International Style style.

The Regions 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 Equitable Life Building was built when the style still carried greater cultural weight.

Both the Equitable Life Building and the Regions Center were designed to serve as commercial towers, and that has remained their main use since their completion, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

The Regions Center also provides 390 parking spaces.

Both the Equitable Life Building and the Regions 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.