Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons vs 300 North LaSalle Building

Comparing the Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons and the 300 North LaSalle Building is compelling because they were both designed by Pickard Chilton, yet they stand in different cities (Milwaukee, WI and Chicago, IL), and were completed more than 9 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 (9 years isn't that much time when it comes to urban context and architecture).

The 300 North LaSalle Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 784ft (239m) with 57 floors above ground, while the Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons reaches 554ft (169m) with 32 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 Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons and the 300 North LaSalle 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 Pickard Chilton 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 Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons and the 300 North LaSalle Building were designed to serve as commercial towers, and that has remained their main use since their completion, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

The 300 North LaSalle Building also provides 225 parking spaces.

The two towers rely on different structural systems, reflecting distinct engineering strategies.

The Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons uses a Frame structural system, which relies on a regular grid of columns and beams to sustain its weight, while the 300 North LaSalle Building uses a Framed Tube In Tube system, that combines a strong central core with a perimeter tube of columns.

Yet, when it comes to their facade, they both employed the same solution, 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.