Millennium Centre vs One Chicago East Tower

Millennium Centre
One Chicago East Tower

Comparing the Millennium Centre and the One Chicago East Tower is interesting because they both rise in Chicago, IL, yet they were conceived by two different design teams, Solomon Cordwell Buenz and Goettsch Partners , and were completed at different points in time. They were finished more than a decade 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
185.9m
Floors
58

Height & Size

Height
296m
Floors
77

The One Chicago East Tower is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 971ft (296m) with 77 floors above ground, while the Millennium Centre reaches 610ft (185.9m) with 58 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
Contemporary

Architectural Style

Style
Contemporary

Both the Millennium Centre and the One Chicago East 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 both Solomon Cordwell Buenz and Goettsch Partners followed what was in many ways expected of them, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms, rather than breaking with convention.

Main use
Residential

Uses

Main use
Residential

Both the Millennium Centre and the One Chicago East Tower were designed to serve as residential towers, and that has remained their main use since their completion, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

In terms of capacity, the Millennium Centre offers 341 apartments, while the One Chicago East Tower provides 353 units.

Both towers provide significant parking capacity, with Millennium Centre offering 680 spaces and the One Chicago East Tower offering 1100.

Structure
Frame
Facade
Modular

Structure & Facade

Structure
Frame
Facade
Curtain 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 Millennium Centre uses a Modular facade, while the One Chicago East Tower uses a Curtain Wall facade.

A Modular facade like the one seen in the Millennium Centre employs prefabricated panels, often mixing solid surfaces with smaller windows, while a curtain-wall facade like the one seen in the One Chicago East Tower uses a lightweight glass curtain wall hung from the structure.

Millennium Centre One Chicago East Tower
Solomon Cordwell Buenz Architect Goettsch Partners
2001 Construction Started 2019
2003 Year Completed 2022
Contemporary Architectural Style Contemporary
Residential Current Use Residential
58 Floors Above Ground 77
185.9 m Height (m) 296 m
341 Residential Units 353
Frame Structure Type Frame
Reinforced Concrete Vertical Structure Material Reinforced Concrete
Reinforced Concrete Horizontal Structure Material Reinforced Concrete
Concrete Main Facade Material Aluminum, Glass
American Invsco Contractor Developer JDL
IL State IL
Chicago City Chicago
33 West Ontario Street Address 1 West Chicago Avenue