John Hancock Center vs Random House Tower

Comparing the John Hancock Center and the Random House Tower 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 Random House Tower reaches 682ft (208m) with 52 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 John Hancock Center was designed in the International Style style, while the Random House 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 34 years apart (1969 vs 2003), these two buildings are a perfect example of how different architectural styles have shaped the architectural landscape of our cities over time.

The Random House Tower follows a mixed-use model, combining commercial and residential. In contrast, the John Hancock Center has remained primarily .

In terms of capacity, the John Hancock Center offers 703 apartments, while the Random House Tower provides 101 units.

Both towers provide significant parking capacity, with John Hancock Center offering 710 spaces and the Random House Tower offering 150.

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 Random House Tower 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 Random House Tower opted for a Curtain Wall facade, that uses a lightweight glass curtain wall hung from the structure.