Lever House vs One Chase Manhattan Plaza Building

Lever House
One Chase Manhattan Plaza Building

Comparing the Lever House and the One Chase Manhattan Plaza 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 9 years apart.

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

Height
93.57m
Floors
21

Height & Size

Height
248m
Floors
60

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 Lever House reaches 307ft (93.57m) with 21 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 1,977,055 sqf (183,675m2) more than what the Lever House offers.

The One Chase Manhattan Plaza Building also concentrates more floor area on its site, indicating a higher floor area ratio.

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.

Style
International Style

Architectural Style

Style
International Style

Both the Lever House and the One Chase Manhattan Plaza Building were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the International Style style.

At the time, this style was at the height of its popularity. So Skidmore, Owings & Merrill followed what was in many ways expected at the time, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms rather, than breaking with convention.

Main use
Commercial

Uses

Main use
Commercial

Both the Lever House and the One Chase Manhattan Plaza 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.

Structure
Frame
Facade
Curtain Wall

Structure & Facade

Structure
Framed Tube In Tube
Facade
Curtain Wall

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

The Lever House uses a Frame structural system, which relies on a regular grid of columns and beams to sustain its weight, while the One Chase Manhattan Plaza 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.

Lever House One Chase Manhattan Plaza Building
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Architect Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
1950 Construction Started 1957
1952 Year Completed 1961
International Style Architectural Style International Style
Commercial Current Use Commercial
21 Floors Above Ground 60
1 Floors Below Ground 5
93.57 m Height (m) 248 m
24428.38 Built-up Area (m²) 208103
Frame Structure Type Framed Tube In Tube
Steel Vertical Structure Material Steel
Reinforced Concrete Horizontal Structure Material Reinforced Concrete
No Facade Structural? Yes
Glass, Aluminum, Steel Main Facade Material Aluminum, Glass
George A. Fuller Company Main Contractor Turner Construction
NY State NY
New York City New York
390 Park Ave Address 28 Liberty Street