JW Marriott Essex House vs Lefcourt Building

Comparing the JW Marriott Essex House and the Lefcourt Building is an interesting exercise, because even though they are located in different cities (New York, NY and Newark, NJ), both were designed by Frank Grad & Sons and finished within just one year apart. This gives us the chance to see how the same architect's ideas were expressed in different urban contexts almost simultaneously.

The JW Marriott Essex House is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 463ft (141m) with 43 floors above ground, while the Lefcourt Building reaches 449ft (137m) with 35 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.

Both the JW Marriott Essex House and the Lefcourt Building were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Art Deco style.

At the time, this style was at the height of its popularity. So both Frank Grad & Sons and Frank Grad and Sons followed what was in many ways expected of them, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms, rather than breaking with convention.

The JW Marriott Essex House is primarily hotel, while the Lefcourt Building is primarily residential.

Originally, the Lefcourt Building was designed for commercial, but over time it was converted to residential. The JW Marriott Essex House by contrast has maintained its original role.

The JW Marriott Essex House incorporates a 4-star hotel with 537 rooms. More information is available at the official website.

In terms of capacity, the JW Marriott Essex House offers 200 apartments, while the Lefcourt Building provides 317 units.

Both the JW Marriott Essex House and the Lefcourt Building 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 Masonry facade.

A masonry facade gives the building a heavier, more traditional appearance. It often conceals a frame structure behind it, creating the look of solid walls without carrying the main loads.