One Chicago West Tower vs 155 North Wacker Building

Comparing the One Chicago West Tower and the 155 North Wacker Building is particularly interesting because they share the same skyline in Chicago, IL, and were both designed by Goettsch Partners . However, they were completed more than 12 years apart.

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

These two towers present an interesting contrast in their proportions. The 155 North Wacker Building rises higher at 640ft (195m), while the One Chicago West Tower reaches 574ft (175m). However, the One Chicago West Tower accommodates more floors with 49 levels above ground, compared to 45 floors in the 155 North Wacker Building.

This suggests different approaches to interior space design. The 155 North Wacker Building has an average floor-to-floor height of approximately 4.3m, while the One Chicago West Tower has more compact floors averaging around 3.6m each. The taller building's more generous floor heights might indicate grander interior spaces, higher ceilings, or different programmatic requirements.

These different proportions likely reflect the specific needs each building was designed to serve, whether driven by zoning regulations, client requirements, or the intended use of the spaces within. The contrast shows how architects can achieve different spatial experiences even when working with similar overall building scales.

Both the One Chicago West Tower and the 155 North Wacker 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 Goettsch Partners and Goettsch Partners followed what was in many ways expected of them, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms, rather than breaking with convention.

The One Chicago West Tower is primarily residential, while the 155 North Wacker Building is primarily commercial.

The One Chicago West Tower offers 391 residential units.

Both towers provide significant parking capacity, with One Chicago West Tower offering 1100 spaces and the 155 North Wacker Building offering 163.

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

The One Chicago West Tower uses a Frame structural system, which relies on a regular grid of columns and beams to sustain its weight, while the 155 North Wacker 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.