Loews Hotel Tower vs BMO Tower

Comparing the Loews Hotel Tower and the BMO Tower is interesting because they both rise in Chicago, IL, yet they were conceived by two different design teams, Solomon Cordwell Buenz and Goettsch Partners , and were completed at different points in time. They were finished more than 6 years apart.

This contrast within the same city allows us to see how different creative minds interpreted the evolving needs of Chicago across time.

Let's take a closer look!

These two towers present an interesting contrast in their proportions. The BMO Tower rises higher at 728ft (222m), while the Loews Hotel Tower reaches 568ft (173m). However, the Loews Hotel Tower accommodates more floors with 52 levels above ground, compared to 51 floors in the BMO Tower.

This suggests different approaches to interior space design. The BMO Tower has an average floor-to-floor height of approximately 4.4m, while the Loews Hotel Tower has more compact floors averaging around 3.3m each. The taller building's more generous floor heights might indicate grander interior spaces, higher ceilings, or different programmatic requirements.

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 BMO Tower 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 both Solomon Cordwell Buenz and Goettsch Partners followed what was in many ways expected of them, 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 BMO Tower has remained primarily commercial.

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

The Loews Hotel Tower offers 389 residential units.

The BMO Tower also provides 324 parking spaces.

Both the Loews Hotel Tower and the BMO 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 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.