John Hancock Center vs University Club Tower

Comparing the John Hancock Center and the University Club Tower is compelling because they were both designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, yet they stand in different cities (Chicago, IL and Milwaukee, WI), 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 University Club Tower reaches 446ft (136m) with 34 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 University Club 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 38 years apart (1969 vs 2007), 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 University Club Tower is primarily residential.

In terms of capacity, the John Hancock Center offers 703 apartments, while the University Club Tower provides 53 units.

Both towers provide significant parking capacity, with John Hancock Center offering 710 spaces and the University Club Tower offering 106.

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 University Club 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 University Club Tower opted for a Modular facade, that employs prefabricated panels, often mixing solid surfaces with smaller windows.