One Chase Manhattan Plaza Building vs Random House Tower

Comparing the One Chase Manhattan Plaza Building and the Random House Tower 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 42 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 Random House Tower reaches 682ft (208m) with 52 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.

The One Chase Manhattan Plaza Building was designed in the International Style style, while the Random House Tower 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 42 years apart (1961 vs 2003), these two buildings are a perfect example of how different architectural styles have shaped the architectural landscape of our cities over time.

The Random House Tower follows a mixed-use model, combining commercial and residential. In contrast, the One Chase Manhattan Plaza Building has remained primarily commercial.

The Random House Tower offers 101 residential units.

The Random House Tower also provides 150 parking spaces.

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

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

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.