John Hancock Center vs Trump International Hotel and Tower

Comparing the John Hancock Center 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 40 years apart.

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

These two towers present an interesting contrast in their proportions. The Trump International Hotel and Tower rises higher at 1181ft (360m), while the John Hancock Center reaches 1129ft (344m). However, the John Hancock Center accommodates more floors with 100 levels above ground, compared to 92 floors in the Trump International Hotel and Tower.

This suggests different approaches to interior space design. The Trump International Hotel and Tower has an average floor-to-floor height of approximately 3.9m, while the John Hancock Center has more compact floors averaging around 3.4m each. The taller building's more generous floor heights might indicate grander interior spaces, higher ceilings, or different programmatic requirements.

These different proportions likely reflect the specific needs each building was designed to serve, whether driven by zoning regulations, client requirements, or the intended use of the spaces within. The contrast shows how architects can achieve different spatial experiences even when working with similar overall building scales.

The John Hancock Center 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 40 years apart (1969 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 John Hancock Center has remained primarily .

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

In terms of capacity, the John Hancock Center offers 703 apartments, while the Trump International Hotel and Tower provides 486 units.

Both towers provide significant parking capacity, with John Hancock Center offering 710 spaces and the Trump International Hotel and Tower offering 960.

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 Trump International Hotel and 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 Trump International Hotel and Tower opted for a Curtain Wall facade, that uses a lightweight glass curtain wall hung from the structure.