Millennium Tower vs OneEleven Building

Comparing the Millennium Tower and the OneEleven Building is an interesting exercise, because even though they are located in different cities (Boston, MA and Chicago, IL), both were designed by Handel Architects and finished within within 2 years of each other. This gives us the chance to see how the same architect's ideas were expressed in different urban contexts almost simultaneously.

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 OneEleven Building reaches 614ft (187m) 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 OneEleven 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 both Handel Architects and Handel Architects LLP followed what was in many ways expected of them, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms, rather than breaking with convention.

Both the Millennium Tower and the OneEleven Building 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 Tower offers 442 apartments, while the OneEleven Building provides 504 units.

Both towers provide significant parking capacity, with Millennium Tower offering 550 spaces and the OneEleven Building offering 470.

Both the Millennium Tower and the OneEleven 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.