Federal Reserve Bank Building vs Fifth Avenue Place

Comparing the Federal Reserve Bank Building and the Fifth Avenue Place is compelling because they were both designed by Stubbins and Associates, yet they stand in different cities (Boston, MA and Pittsburgh, PA), and were completed a decade apart.

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

These two towers present an interesting contrast in their proportions. The Fifth Avenue Place rises higher at 617ft (188m), while the Federal Reserve Bank Building reaches 614ft (187m). However, the Federal Reserve Bank Building accommodates more floors with 32 levels above ground, compared to 31 floors in the Fifth Avenue Place.

This suggests different approaches to interior space design. The Fifth Avenue Place has an average floor-to-floor height of approximately 6.1m, while the Federal Reserve Bank Building has more compact floors averaging around 5.8m each.

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 Federal Reserve Bank Building and the Fifth Avenue Place were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Postmodernism style.

At the time, this style was at the height of its popularity. So both Stubbins and Associates and Stubbins Associates followed what was in many ways expected of them, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms, rather than breaking with convention.

Both the Federal Reserve Bank Building and the Fifth Avenue Place are primarily commercial towers, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

Originally, the Fifth Avenue Place was designed for retail, but over time it was converted to commercial. The Federal Reserve Bank Building by contrast has maintained its original role.

The Fifth Avenue Place also provides 250 parking spaces.

These two towers illustrate the many possible ways to combine structure and enclosure in skyscraper design.