One Illinois Center vs Promontory Apartments

One Illinois Center
Promontory Apartments

Comparing the One Illinois Center and the Promontory Apartments is particularly interesting because they share the same skyline in Chicago, IL, and were both designed by Mies van der Rohe. However, they were completed more than 21 years apart.

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

Height
110m
Floors
30

Height & Size

Height
66.5m
Floors
22

The One Illinois Center is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 361ft (110m) with 30 floors above ground, while the Promontory Apartments reaches 218ft (66.5m) with 22 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.

Style
International Style

Architectural Style

Style
International Style

Both the One Illinois Center and the Promontory Apartments 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 Mies van der Rohe 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
Residential

The One Illinois Center is primarily commercial, while the Promontory Apartments is primarily residential.

The Promontory Apartments offers 122 residential units.

The One Illinois Center also provides 866 parking spaces.

Structure
Frame
Facade
Curtain Wall

Structure & Facade

Structure
Frame
Facade
Window Wall

Both towers share the same structural solution, a Frame 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.

However, when it comes to the facade, both buildings use different approaches. The One Illinois Center uses a Curtain Wall facade, while the Promontory Apartments uses a Window Wall facade.

A Curtain Wall facade like the one seen in the One Illinois Center uses a lightweight glass curtain wall hung from the structure, while a window-wall facade like the one seen in the Promontory Apartments uses panels fitted between floor slabs, leaving slab edges visible.

One Illinois Center Promontory Apartments
Mies van der Rohe Architect Mies van der Rohe
1966 Design Ended 1947
1967 Construction Started 1947
1970 Year Completed 1949
International Style Architectural Style International Style
Commercial Current Use Residential
30 Floors Above Ground 22
4 Floors Below Ground 1
110 m Height (m) 66.5 m
Frame Structure Type Frame
Concrete Vertical Structure Material Concrete
Concrete Horizontal Structure Material Concrete
No Facade Structural? No
Glass, Steel, Aluminum Main Facade Material Brick
Tishman Construction Main Contractor Peter Hamlin Construction Company
IL State IL
Chicago City Chicago
111 East Wacker Drive Address 5530–5532 South Shore Dr.