Millennium Tower vs Winthrop Center Building

Comparing the Millennium Tower and the Winthrop Center Building 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 a decade apart.

What this will allow us to see, is how the same firm's approach adapted to different places in different periods of time.

These two towers present an interesting contrast in their proportions. The Winthrop Center Building rises higher at 689ft (210m), while the Millennium Tower reaches 604ft (184m). However, the Millennium Tower accommodates more floors with 58 levels above ground, compared to 48 floors in the Winthrop Center Building.

This suggests different approaches to interior space design. The Winthrop Center Building has an average floor-to-floor height of approximately 4.4m, while the Millennium Tower has more compact floors averaging around 3.2m each. The taller building's more generous floor heights might indicate grander interior spaces, higher ceilings, or different programmatic requirements.

These different proportions likely reflect the specific needs each building was designed to serve, whether driven by zoning regulations, client requirements, or the intended use of the spaces within. The contrast shows how architects can achieve different spatial experiences even when working with similar overall building scales.

Both the Millennium Tower and the Winthrop Center Building 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.

The Winthrop Center Building follows a mixed-use model, combining commercial and residential. In contrast, the Millennium Tower has remained primarily residential.

In terms of capacity, the Millennium Tower offers 419 apartments, while the Winthrop Center Building provides 317 units.

The Millennium Tower also provides 340 parking spaces.

Both the Millennium Tower and the Winthrop Center 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 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.