Chicago Motor Club Building vs LaSalle-Wacker Building

Chicago Motor Club Building
LaSalle-Wacker Building

Comparing the Chicago Motor Club Building and the LaSalle-Wacker Building is especially interesting because they share much in common. Both rise in Chicago, IL both were designed by Holabird & Root, and they were completed just one year apart.

This overlap gives us a unique opportunity to understand how Holabird & Root approached different commissions in the same urban context and historical context during a short period.

Height
72m
Floors
17

Height & Size

Height
156m
Floors
41

The LaSalle-Wacker Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 512ft (156m) with 41 floors above ground, while the Chicago Motor Club Building reaches 236ft (72m) with 17 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.

Style
Art Deco

Architectural Style

Style
Art Deco

Both the Chicago Motor Club Building and the LaSalle-Wacker 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 Holabird & Root followed what was in many ways expected at the time, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms rather, than breaking with convention.

Main use
Hotel

Uses

Main use
Commercial

The Chicago Motor Club Building is primarily hotel, while the LaSalle-Wacker Building is primarily commercial.

Originally, the Chicago Motor Club Building was designed for commercial, but over time it was converted to hotel. The LaSalle-Wacker Building by contrast has maintained its original role.

The Chicago Motor Club Building incorporates a 3-star hotel with rooms. More information is available at the official website.

The LaSalle-Wacker Building also provides 95 parking spaces.

Structure
Frame
Facade
Masonry

Structure & Facade

Structure
Frame
Facade
Masonry

Both the Chicago Motor Club Building and the LaSalle-Wacker 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.

Chicago Motor Club Building LaSalle-Wacker Building
Holabird & Root Architect Holabird & Root
1929 Year Completed 1930
Art Deco Architectural Style Art Deco
Hotel Current Use Commercial
17 Floors Above Ground 41
72 m Height (m) 156 m
Frame Structure Type Frame
Steel Vertical Structure Material Steel
Concrete Horizontal Structure Material Concrete
No Facade Structural? No
IL State IL
Chicago City Chicago
66 E. South Water Street (68 E. Wacker Place) Address 221 LaSalle Street