Millennium Tower vs Millennium Tower

Comparing the Millennium Tower and the Millennium Tower is compelling because they were both designed by Handel Architects, yet they stand in different cities (San Francisco, CA and Boston, MA), and were completed more than 7 years apart.

What this will allow us to see, is how the same firm's approach adapted to different places at roughly the same time (7 years isn't that much time when it comes to urban context and architecture).

The Millennium Tower is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 686ft (209m) with 60 floors above ground, while the Millennium Tower reaches 604ft (184m) 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.

Both the Millennium Tower and the Millennium 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 Handel Architects 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 Millennium Tower and the Millennium Tower are primarily residential towers, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

In terms of capacity, the Millennium Tower offers 419 apartments, while the Millennium Tower provides 442 units.

Both towers provide significant parking capacity, with Millennium Tower offering 340 spaces and the Millennium Tower offering 550.

Both the Millennium Tower and the Millennium Tower 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.