Inland Steel Building vs Trump International Hotel and Tower

Comparing the Inland Steel Building and the Trump International Hotel and Tower is particularly interesting because they share the same skyline in Chicago, IL, and were both designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. However, they were completed more than 51 years apart.

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

The Trump International Hotel and Tower is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 1181ft (360m) with 92 floors above ground, while the Inland Steel Building reaches 331ft (101m) with 19 floors above ground.

Despite being taller and having more floors, Trump International Hotel and Tower has less total built-up area than Inland Steel Building.

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 Inland Steel Building was designed in the International Style style, while the Trump International Hotel and 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 51 years apart (1958 vs 2009), these two buildings are a perfect example of how different architectural styles have shaped the architectural landscape of our cities over time.

The Trump International Hotel and Tower follows a mixed-use model, combining hotel, residential and commercial. In contrast, the Inland Steel Building has remained primarily commercial.

The Trump International Hotel and Tower incorporates a 5-star hotel with 339 rooms. More information is available at the official website.

The Trump International Hotel and Tower offers 486 residential units.

The Trump International Hotel and Tower also provides 960 parking spaces.

Both the Inland Steel Building and the Trump International Hotel and Tower 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.