John Hancock Center vs 383 Madison Avenue Building

Comparing the John Hancock Center and the 383 Madison Avenue Building is compelling because they were both designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, yet they stand in different cities (Chicago, IL and New York, NY), and were completed over two decades apart.

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

The John Hancock Center is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 1129ft (344m) with 100 floors above ground, while the 383 Madison Avenue Building reaches 755ft (230m) with 47 floors above ground.

John Hancock Center also offers more total built-up area, a total fo 2,799,970 sqf (260,126m²), which is about 1,615,941 sqf (150,126m²) more than what the 383 Madison Avenue Building offers.

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 John Hancock Center was designed in the International Style style, while the 383 Madison Avenue Building 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 32 years apart (1969 vs 2001), these two buildings are a perfect example of how different architectural styles have shaped the architectural landscape of our cities over time.

The John Hancock Center is primarily , while the 383 Madison Avenue Building is primarily commercial.

The John Hancock Center offers 703 residential units.

The John Hancock Center also provides 710 parking spaces.

The two buildings opted for different structural and facade solutions.

The John Hancock Center uses a Trussed Tube In Tube system, which combines a central core with a perimeter tube reinforced by diagonal bracing, while the 383 Madison Avenue 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 Window Wall went with a Window Wall facade, which uses panels fitted between floor slabs, leaving slab edges visible, while the 383 Madison Avenue Building opted for a Modular facade, that employs prefabricated panels, often mixing solid surfaces with smaller windows.