One Magnificent Mile Building vs Trump International Hotel and Tower

Comparing the One Magnificent Mile Building and the Trump International Hotel and Tower is particularly interesting because they share the same skyline in Chicago, IL, and were both designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. However, they were completed more than 26 years apart.

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

The Trump International Hotel and Tower is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 1181ft (360m) with 92 floors above ground, while the One Magnificent Mile Building reaches 673ft (205m) with 57 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 Magnificent Mile Building was designed in the Postmodernism style, while the Trump International Hotel and 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 26 years apart (1983 vs 2009), these two buildings are a perfect example of how different architectural styles have shaped the architectural landscape of our cities over time.

Both towers follow a mixed-use program. The One Magnificent Mile Building combines retail, commercial and residential, while the Trump International Hotel and Tower integrates hotel, residential and commercial. Notably, both include commercial and residential as part of their program.

The Trump International Hotel and Tower incorporates a 5-star hotel with 339 rooms. More information is available at the official website.

In terms of capacity, the One Magnificent Mile Building offers 182 apartments, while the Trump International Hotel and Tower provides 486 units.

The Trump International Hotel and Tower also provides 960 parking spaces.

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 Magnificent Mile Building uses a Modular facade, while the Trump International Hotel and Tower uses a Curtain Wall facade.

A Modular facade like the one seen in the One Magnificent Mile Building employs prefabricated panels, often mixing solid surfaces with smaller windows, while a curtain-wall facade like the one seen in the Trump International Hotel and Tower uses a lightweight glass curtain wall hung from the structure.