Equitable Building vs University Club Tower

Comparing the Equitable Building and the University Club Tower is compelling because they were both designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, yet they stand in different cities (Chicago, IL and Milwaukee, WI), and were completed over two decades apart.

What this will allow us to see, is how the same firm's approach adapted to different places in different periods of time.

The Equitable Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 456ft (139m) with 35 floors above ground, while the University Club Tower reaches 446ft (136m) with 34 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.

The Equitable Building was designed in the International Style style, while the University Club Tower reflects the principles of Contemporary.

At the time of their completion, both styles were well established. This makes the comparison especially interesting, because both buildings represent a dominant aesthetic at a particular point in time.

Built 42 years apart (1965 vs 2007), these two buildings are a perfect example of how different architectural styles have shaped the architectural landscape of our cities over time.

The Equitable Building is primarily commercial, while the University Club Tower is primarily residential.

The University Club Tower offers 53 residential units.

The University Club Tower also provides 106 parking spaces.

The two buildings opted for different structural and facade solutions.

The Equitable Building uses a Framed Tube In Tube system, which combines a strong central core with a perimeter tube of columns, while the University Club Tower uses a Frame system, that relies on a regular grid of columns and beams to sustain its weight.

And when it came to the facade, the Curtain Wall went with a Curtain Wall facade, which uses a lightweight glass curtain wall hung from the structure, while the University Club Tower opted for a Modular facade, that employs prefabricated panels, often mixing solid surfaces with smaller windows.