Koppers Tower vs Field Building

Comparing the Koppers Tower and the Field Building is an interesting exercise, because even though they are located in different cities (Pittsburgh, PA and Chicago, IL), both were designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst & White and finished within within 5 years of each other. This gives us the chance to see how the same architect's ideas were expressed in different urban contexts almost simultaneously.

The Field Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 535ft (163.1m) with 45 floors above ground, while the Koppers Tower reaches 476ft (145m) 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.

Both the Koppers Tower and the Field 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 Graham, Anderson, Probst & White followed what was in many ways expected at the time, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms rather, than breaking with convention.

Both the Koppers Tower and the Field Building are primarily commercial towers, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

Originally, the Field Building was designed for Office. Bank. Radio Station, but over time it was converted to commercial. The Koppers Tower by contrast has maintained its original role.

These two towers illustrate the many possible ways to combine structure and enclosure in skyscraper design.