Koppers Tower vs Gulf Tower


Comparing the Koppers Tower and the Gulf Tower is interesting because they both stand in Pittsburgh, PA, and were completed within 3 years of each other, but they were designed by different architects.
This offers a unique glimpse at how rival designers approached projects in the same city during the same era.
Height & Size
The Gulf Tower is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 581ft (177m) with 44 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.
Architectural Style
Both the Koppers Tower and the Gulf Tower 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 Graham, Anderson, Probst & White and Trowbridge & Livingston followed what was in many ways expected of them, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms, rather than breaking with convention.
Uses
The Koppers Tower is primarily commercial, while the Gulf Tower is primarily .
Structure & Facade
Both the Koppers Tower and the Gulf Tower 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.
Koppers Tower | Gulf Tower | |
---|---|---|
Graham, Anderson, Probst & White | Architect | Trowbridge & Livingston |
1927 | Construction Started | 1930 |
1929 | Year Completed | 1932 |
Art Deco | Architectural Style | Art Deco |
34 | Floors Above Ground | 44 |
145 m | Height (m) | 177 m |
26,985 m² | Usable Area (m²) | 38,027 m² |
13 | Number of Elevators | 15 |
Frame | Structure Type | Frame |
Steel | Vertical Structure Material | Steel |
Concrete | Horizontal Structure Material | Concrete |
No | Facade Structural? | No |
Limestone | Main Facade Material | Limestone |
Mellon Stuart | Main Contractor | Mellon Stuart |
Andrew W. Mellon | Developer | Andrew W. Mellon |
PA | State | PA |
Pittsburgh | City | Pittsburgh |
436 Seventh Avenue | Address | 707 Grant Street |