Michigan Bell and Western Electric Warehouse vs Penobscot Building

Comparing the Michigan Bell and Western Electric Warehouse and the Penobscot Building is especially interesting because they share much in common. Both rise in Detroit, MI both were designed by Smith, Hinchman & Grylls, and they were completed within 2 years of each other.

This overlap gives us a unique opportunity to understand how Smith, Hinchman & Grylls approached different commissions in the same urban context and historical context during a short period.

The Penobscot Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 564ft (172m) with 45 floors above ground, while the Michigan Bell and Western Electric Warehouse reaches 0ft (m) with 12 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 Michigan Bell and Western Electric Warehouse and the Penobscot 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 Smith, Hinchman & Grylls 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 Michigan Bell and Western Electric Warehouse is primarily commercial , while the Penobscot Building is primarily commercial.

The Michigan Bell and Western Electric Warehouse offers 155 residential units.

Both the Michigan Bell and Western Electric Warehouse and the Penobscot 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.