Merchandise Mart vs Field Building

Comparing the Merchandise Mart and the Field Building is especially interesting because they share much in common. Both rise in Chicago, IL both were designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst & White, and they were completed within 4 years of each other.

This overlap gives us a unique opportunity to understand how Graham, Anderson, Probst & White approached different commissions in the same urban context and historical context during a short period.

The Field Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 535ft (163.1m) with 45 floors above ground, while the Merchandise Mart reaches 341ft (104m) with 25 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 Merchandise Mart and the Field 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 Graham, Anderson, Probst & White followed what was in many ways expected at the time, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms rather, than breaking with convention.

Both the Merchandise Mart and the Field Building are primarily commercial towers, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

Originally, the Field Building was designed for Office. Bank. Radio Station, but over time it was converted to commercial. The Merchandise Mart by contrast has maintained its original role.

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