One Chase Manhattan Plaza Building vs 383 Madison Avenue Building

Comparing the One Chase Manhattan Plaza Building and the 383 Madison Avenue Building is particularly interesting because they share the same skyline in New York, NY, and were both designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. However, they were completed more than 40 years apart.

This offers a unique perspective on how the architect's style and the city's architecture evolved over time.

The One Chase Manhattan Plaza Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 814ft (248m) with 60 floors above ground, while the 383 Madison Avenue Building reaches 755ft (230m) with 47 floors above ground.

One Chase Manhattan Plaza Building also offers more total built-up area, a total fo 2,240,000 sqf (208,103m²), which is about 1,055,971 sqf (98,103m²) more than what the 383 Madison Avenue Building offers.

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.

The One Chase Manhattan Plaza Building was designed in the International Style style, while the 383 Madison Avenue Building reflects the principles of Contemporary.

At the time of their completion, both styles were well established. This makes the comparison especially interesting, because both buildings represent a dominant aesthetic at a particular point in time.

Built 40 years apart (1961 vs 2001), these two buildings are a perfect example of how different architectural styles have shaped the architectural landscape of our cities over time.

Both the One Chase Manhattan Plaza Building and the 383 Madison Avenue 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 two buildings opted for different structural and facade solutions.

The One Chase Manhattan Plaza Building uses a Framed Tube In Tube system, which combines a strong central core with a perimeter tube of columns, while the 383 Madison Avenue Building uses a Frame system, that relies on a regular grid of columns and beams to sustain its weight.

And when it came to the facade, the Curtain Wall went with a Curtain Wall facade, which uses a lightweight glass curtain wall hung from the structure, while the 383 Madison Avenue Building opted for a Modular facade, that employs prefabricated panels, often mixing solid surfaces with smaller windows.