One PPG Place vs 400 West Market

Comparing the One PPG Place and the 400 West Market is compelling because they were both designed by Johnson/Burgee Architects, yet they stand in different cities (Pittsburgh, PA and Louisville, KY), and were completed more than 9 years apart.

What this will allow us to see, is how the same firm's approach adapted to different places at roughly the same time (9 years isn't that much time when it comes to urban context and architecture).

The One PPG Place is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 636ft (194m) with 40 floors above ground, while the 400 West Market reaches 548ft (167m) with 35 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 PPG Place and the 400 West Market were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Postmodernism style.

The 400 West Market was designed at a moment when the Postmodernism style was already in decline, making it more of a lingering expression of the movement. In contrast, the One PPG Place was built when the style still carried greater cultural weight.

Both the One PPG Place and the 400 West Market were designed to serve as commercial towers, and that has remained their main use since their completion, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

Both towers provide significant parking capacity, with One PPG Place offering 700 spaces and the 400 West Market offering 789.

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 PPG Place uses a Curtain Wall facade, while the 400 West Market uses a Modular facade.

A Curtain Wall facade like the one seen in the One PPG Place uses a lightweight glass curtain wall hung from the structure, while a modular facade like the one seen in the 400 West Market employs prefabricated panels, often mixing solid surfaces with smaller windows.