Two International Place Building vs Exchange Place Building

Comparing the Two International Place Building and the Exchange Place Building is interesting because they both rise in Boston, MA, yet they were conceived by two different design teams, Johnson/Burgee Architects and WZMH Architects, and were completed at different points in time. They were finished more than 8 years apart.

This contrast within the same city allows us to see how different creative minds interpreted the evolving needs of Boston across time.

Let's take a closer look!

These two towers present an interesting contrast in their proportions. The Two International Place Building rises higher at 538ft (164m), while the Exchange Place Building reaches 509ft (155m). However, the Exchange Place Building accommodates more floors with 40 levels above ground, compared to 35 floors in the Two International Place Building.

This suggests different approaches to interior space design. The Two International Place Building has an average floor-to-floor height of approximately 4.7m, while the Exchange Place Building has more compact floors averaging around 3.9m each. The taller building's more generous floor heights might indicate grander interior spaces, higher ceilings, or different programmatic requirements.

These different proportions likely reflect the specific needs each building was designed to serve, whether driven by zoning regulations, client requirements, or the intended use of the spaces within. The contrast shows how architects can achieve different spatial experiences even when working with similar overall building scales.

Both the Two International Place Building and the Exchange Place Building were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Postmodernism style.

The Two International Place Building was designed at a moment when the Postmodernism style was already in decline, making it more of a lingering expression of the movement. In contrast, the Exchange Place Building style was already in decline, making it more of a lingering expression of the movement. In contrast, the Exchange Place Building was built when the style still carried greater cultural weight.

Both the Two International Place Building and the Exchange Place Building 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 Exchange Place Building also provides 126 parking spaces.

The two buildings opted for different structural and facade solutions.

The Two International Place Building uses a Framed Tube In Tube system, which combines a strong central core with a perimeter tube of columns, while the Exchange Place Building 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 Modular went with a Modular facade, which employs prefabricated panels, often mixing solid surfaces with smaller windows, while the Exchange Place Building opted for a Curtain Wall facade, that uses a lightweight glass curtain wall hung from the structure.