Field Building vs Century Tower


Comparing the Field Building and the Century Tower is interesting because they both stand in Chicago, IL, and were completed within 4 years of each other, but they were designed by different architects.
This offers a unique glimpse at how rival designers approached projects in the same city during the same era.
Height & Size
The Field Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 535ft (163.1m) with 45 floors above ground, while the Century Tower reaches 395ft (120.4m) with 28 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.
Architectural Style
Both the Field Building and the Century Tower 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 both Graham, Anderson, Probst & White and Thielbar & Fugard followed what was in many ways expected of them, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms, rather than breaking with convention.
Uses
The Field Building is primarily commercial, while the Century Tower is primarily residential.
However, both of them have shifted purpose since their completion. The Field Building evolved from Office. Bank. Radio Station to commercial, while the Century Tower moved from commercial to residential.
The Century Tower offers 292 residential units.
Structure & Facade
These two towers illustrate the many possible ways to combine structure and enclosure in skyscraper design.
Field Building | Century Tower | |
---|---|---|
Graham, Anderson, Probst & White | Architect | Thielbar & Fugard |
1931 | Construction Started | 1929 |
1934 | Year Completed | 1930 |
Art Deco | Architectural Style | Art Deco |
Office. Bank. Radio Station | Original Use | Commercial |
Commercial | Current Use | Residential |
45 | Floors Above Ground | 28 |
163.1 m | Height (m) | 120.4 m |
Frame | Structure Type | Frame |
Steel | Vertical Structure Material | Reinforced Concrete |
No | Facade Structural? | No |
IL | State | IL |
Chicago | City | Chicago |
135 South LaSalle Street | Address | 182 West Lake Street |