Lee Plaza Building vs David Stott Building

Comparing the Lee Plaza Building and the David Stott Building is interesting because they both stand in Detroit, MI, and were completed in the same year, 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.

The David Stott Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 436ft (133m) with 38 floors above ground, while the Lee Plaza Building reaches 180ft (55m) with 15 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 Lee Plaza Building and the David Stott 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 Charles Noble and Donaldson and Meier followed what was in many ways expected of them, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms, rather than breaking with convention.

Both the Lee Plaza Building and the David Stott Building are primarily residential towers, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

However, both of them have shifted purpose since their completion. The Lee Plaza Building evolved from hotel to residential, while the David Stott Building moved from commercial to residential.

In terms of capacity, the Lee Plaza Building offers 117 apartments, while the David Stott Building provides 107 units.

Both the Lee Plaza Building and the David Stott 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.