Michigan Plaza South vs Promontory Apartments

Michigan Plaza South
Promontory Apartments

Comparing the Michigan Plaza South and the Promontory Apartments is interesting because they both rise in Chicago, IL, yet they were conceived by two different design teams, Fujikawa Johnson & Associates and Mies van der Rohe, and were completed at different points in time. They were finished over two decades 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!

Height
169m
Floors
44

Height & Size

Height
66.5m
Floors
22

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 Promontory Apartments reaches 218ft (66.5m) with 22 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.

Style
International Style

Architectural Style

Style
International Style

Both the Michigan Plaza South and the Promontory Apartments were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the International Style style.

The Michigan Plaza South was designed at a moment when the International Style style was already in decline, making it more of a lingering expression of the movement. In contrast, the Promontory Apartments style was already in decline, making it more of a lingering expression of the movement. In contrast, the Promontory Apartments was built when the style still carried greater cultural weight.

Main use
Commercial

Uses

Main use
Residential

The Michigan Plaza South is primarily commercial, while the Promontory Apartments is primarily residential.

The Promontory Apartments offers 122 residential units.

Structure
Frame
Facade
Curtain Wall

Structure & Facade

Structure
Frame
Facade
Window Wall

Both towers share the same structural solution, a Frame 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.

However, when it comes to the facade, both buildings use different approaches. The Michigan Plaza South uses a Curtain Wall facade, while the Promontory Apartments uses a Window Wall facade.

A Curtain Wall facade like the one seen in the Michigan Plaza South uses a lightweight glass curtain wall hung from the structure, while a window-wall facade like the one seen in the Promontory Apartments uses panels fitted between floor slabs, leaving slab edges visible.

Michigan Plaza South Promontory Apartments
Fujikawa Johnson & Associates Architect Mies van der Rohe
1985 Year Completed 1949
International Style Architectural Style International Style
Commercial Current Use Residential
44 Floors Above Ground 22
2 Floors Below Ground 1
169 m Height (m) 66.5 m
Frame Structure Type Frame
Concrete Vertical Structure Material Concrete
Concrete Horizontal Structure Material Concrete
No Facade Structural? No
Aluminum, Glass Main Facade Material Brick
Metropolitan Structures Inc Main Contractor Peter Hamlin Construction Company
Metropolitan Structures Inc Developer Herbert Greenwald
Alfred Benesh And Company Structural Engineer Frank Kornacker
IL State IL
Chicago City Chicago
205 North Michigan Avenue Address 5530–5532 South Shore Dr.