Key Tower vs 777 Tower

Comparing the Key Tower and the 777 Tower is an interesting exercise, because even though they are located in different cities (Cleveland, OH and Los Angeles, CA), both were designed by César Pelli & Associates and finished within in the same year. This gives us the chance to see how the same architect's ideas were expressed in different urban contexts almost simultaneously.

The Key Tower is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 948ft (289m) with 62 floors above ground, while the 777 Tower reaches 725ft (221m) with 53 floors above ground.

Key Tower also offers more total built-up area, a total fo 1,249,979 sqf (116,127m²), which is about 149,995 sqf (13,935m²) more than what the 777 Tower 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.

Both the Key Tower and the 777 Tower were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Postmodernism style.

Both buildings were completed when the Postmodernism style was already past its peak. This makes them feel like late echoes of the movement, more reflective of continuity or nostalgia than of cutting-edge design at the time.

Both the Key Tower and the 777 Tower were designed to serve as commercial towers, and that has remained their main use since their completion, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

The two buildings opted for different structural and facade solutions.

The Key Tower uses a Frame system, which relies on a regular grid of columns and beams to sustain its weight, while the 777 Tower uses a Framed Tube In Tube system, that combines a strong central core with a perimeter tube of columns.

And when it came to the facade, the Modular went with a Modular facade, which employs prefabricated panels, often mixing solid surfaces with smaller windows, while the 777 Tower opted for a Curtain Wall facade, that uses a lightweight glass curtain wall hung from the structure.