FourFortyFour South Flower Building vs Bank of America Plaza Building

Comparing the FourFortyFour South Flower Building and the Bank of America Plaza Building is particularly interesting because they share the same skyline in Los Angeles, CA, and were both designed by AC Martin & Associates. However, they were completed more than 6 years apart.

This offers a unique perspective on how the architect's style and the city's architecture evolved over time.

The Bank of America Plaza Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 735ft (224m) with 55 floors above ground, while the FourFortyFour South Flower Building reaches 623ft (190m) with 48 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 FourFortyFour South Flower Building was designed in the Modern style, while the Bank of America Plaza Building reflects the principles of International Style.

Both towers were built when their respective styles were already past their prime. This makes them feel more like late continuations rather than groundbreaking statements, showing how architectural traditions can linger even as tastes shift.

Both the FourFortyFour South Flower Building and the Bank of America Plaza 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.

Both towers provide significant parking capacity, with FourFortyFour South Flower Building offering 600 spaces and the Bank of America Plaza Building offering 343.

Both the FourFortyFour South Flower Building and the Bank of America Plaza Building 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.