CitySpire Building vs One Liberty Place Building

Comparing the CitySpire Building and the One Liberty Place Building is an interesting exercise, because even though they are located in different cities (New York, NY and Philadelphia, PA), both were designed by Murphy/Jahn Architects and finished within within 3 years of each other. This gives us the chance to see how the same architect's ideas were expressed in different urban contexts almost simultaneously.

The CitySpire Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 814ft (248m) with 73 floors above ground, while the One Liberty Place Building reaches 0ft (m) with 61 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 CitySpire Building and the One Liberty Place Building were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Postmodernism style.

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

The CitySpire Building follows a mixed-use model, combining residential and commercial. In contrast, the One Liberty Place Building has remained primarily commercial.

The CitySpire Building offers 338 residential units.

The One Liberty Place Building also provides 779 parking spaces.

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

The CitySpire Building uses a Frame structural system, which relies on a regular grid of columns and beams to sustain its weight, while the One Liberty Place 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.