Michigan Plaza South vs Michigan Plaza North

Comparing the Michigan Plaza South and the Michigan Plaza North is especially interesting because they share much in common. Both rise in Chicago, IL both were designed by Fujikawa Johnson & Associates, and they were completed within 4 years of each other.

This overlap gives us a unique opportunity to understand how Fujikawa Johnson & Associates approached different commissions in the same urban context and historical context during a short period.

The Michigan Plaza South is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 554ft (169m) with 44 floors above ground, while the Michigan Plaza North reaches 335ft (102m) 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 Michigan Plaza South and the Michigan Plaza North were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the International Style style.

Both buildings were completed when the International Style style was already past its peak. This makes them feel like late echoes of the movement, more reflective of continuity or nostalgia than of cutting-edge design at the time.

Both the Michigan Plaza South and the Michigan Plaza North were designed to serve as commercial towers, and that has remained their main use since their completion, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

The Michigan Plaza North also provides 565 parking spaces.

Both the Michigan Plaza South and the Michigan Plaza North 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.