One Dalton Building vs Winthrop Center Building

Comparing the One Dalton Building and the Winthrop Center Building is interesting because they both stand in Boston, MA, and were completed within 4 years of each other, but they were designed by different architects.

This offers a unique glimpse at how rival designers approached projects in the same city during the same era.

The One Dalton Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 748ft (228m) with 61 floors above ground, while the Winthrop Center Building reaches 689ft (210m) with 48 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 One Dalton Building and the Winthrop Center 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 Pei Cobb Freed & Partners and Handel Architects followed what was in many ways expected of them, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms, rather than breaking with convention.

Both towers follow a mixed-use program. The One Dalton Building combines residential and hotel, while the Winthrop Center Building integrates commercial and residential. Notably, both include residential as part of their program.

The One Dalton Building incorporates a 5-star hotel with 215 rooms. More information is available at the official website.

In terms of capacity, the One Dalton Building offers 160 apartments, while the Winthrop Center Building provides 317 units.

Both the One Dalton Building and the Winthrop Center Building rely on a Frame structural system.

A frame structure uses a grid of columns and beams to carry the building's loads. This frees the walls from structural duties, allowing for flexible floor plans and larger windows.

They also employ the same type of facade, 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.