One Montgomery Tower vs University Club Tower

Comparing the One Montgomery Tower and the University Club Tower is compelling because they were both designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, yet they stand in different cities (San Francisco, CA and Milwaukee, WI), and were completed over two decades apart.

What this will allow us to see, is how the same firm's approach adapted to different places in different periods of time.

The One Montgomery Tower is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 499ft (152m) with 38 floors above ground, while the University Club Tower reaches 446ft (136m) with 34 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 Montgomery Tower was designed in the Postmodernism style, while the University Club 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 25 years apart (1982 vs 2007), these two buildings are a perfect example of how different architectural styles have shaped the architectural landscape of our cities over time.

The One Montgomery Tower is primarily commercial, while the University Club Tower is primarily residential.

The University Club Tower offers 53 residential units.

The University Club Tower also provides 106 parking spaces.

These two towers illustrate the many possible ways to combine structure and enclosure in skyscraper design.