Loews Hotel Tower vs Atwater Apartments Building

Comparing the Loews Hotel Tower and the Atwater Apartments Building is particularly interesting because they share the same skyline in Chicago, IL, and were both designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz. However, they were completed more than 6 years apart.

This offers a unique perspective on how the architect's style and the city's architecture evolved over time.

These two towers present an interesting contrast in their proportions. The Loews Hotel Tower rises higher at 568ft (173m), while the Atwater Apartments Building reaches 554ft (169m). However, the Atwater Apartments Building accommodates more floors with 53 levels above ground, compared to 52 floors in the Loews Hotel Tower.

This suggests different approaches to interior space design. The Loews Hotel Tower has an average floor-to-floor height of approximately 3.3m, while the Atwater Apartments Building has more compact floors averaging around 3.2m each.

These different proportions likely reflect the specific needs each building was designed to serve, whether driven by zoning regulations, client requirements, or the intended use of the spaces within. The contrast shows how architects can achieve different spatial experiences even when working with similar overall building scales.

Both the Loews Hotel Tower and the Atwater Apartments Building were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Contemporary style.

At the time, this style was at the height of its popularity. So Solomon Cordwell Buenz followed what was in many ways expected at the time, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms rather, than breaking with convention.

The Loews Hotel Tower follows a mixed-use model, combining hotel and residential. In contrast, the Atwater Apartments Building has remained primarily residential.

The Loews Hotel Tower incorporates a 4-star hotel with 400 rooms. More information is available at the official website.

In terms of capacity, the Loews Hotel Tower offers 389 apartments, while the Atwater Apartments Building provides 480 units.

The Atwater Apartments Building also provides 401 parking spaces.

Both the Loews Hotel Tower and the Atwater Apartments 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 Curtain Wall facade.

A curtain wall is a non-load-bearing facade hung from the structural frame. It is anchored to floor slabs and transfers only its own weight and wind loads, allowing for sleek, glassy exteriors.