One Rincon Hill South Tower vs Loews Hotel Tower

Comparing the One Rincon Hill South Tower and the Loews Hotel Tower is compelling because they were both designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz, yet they stand in different cities (San Francisco, CA and Chicago, IL), and were completed more than 7 years apart.

What this will allow us to see, is how the same firm's approach adapted to different places at roughly the same time (7 years isn't that much time when it comes to urban context and architecture).

The One Rincon Hill South Tower is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 640ft (195m) with 54 floors above ground, while the Loews Hotel Tower reaches 568ft (173m) with 52 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 One Rincon Hill South Tower and the Loews Hotel 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 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 One Rincon Hill South Tower 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 One Rincon Hill South Tower offers 390 apartments, while the Loews Hotel Tower provides 389 units.

The One Rincon Hill South Tower also provides 455 parking spaces.

These two towers illustrate the many possible ways to combine structure and enclosure in skyscraper design.