One Worldwide Plaza vs Random House Tower

Comparing the One Worldwide Plaza and the Random House Tower is particularly interesting because they share the same skyline in New York, NY, and were both designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. However, they were completed more than 14 years apart.

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

These two towers present an interesting contrast in their proportions. The One Worldwide Plaza rises higher at 778ft (237m), while the Random House Tower reaches 682ft (208m). However, the Random House Tower accommodates more floors with 52 levels above ground, compared to 47 floors in the One Worldwide Plaza.

This suggests different approaches to interior space design. The One Worldwide Plaza has an average floor-to-floor height of approximately 5m, while the Random House Tower has more compact floors averaging around 4m each. The taller building's more generous floor heights might indicate grander interior spaces, higher ceilings, or different programmatic requirements.

These different proportions likely reflect the specific needs each building was designed to serve, whether driven by zoning regulations, client requirements, or the intended use of the spaces within. The contrast shows how architects can achieve different spatial experiences even when working with similar overall building scales.

The One Worldwide Plaza was designed in the Postmodernism style, while the Random House 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.

The Random House Tower follows a mixed-use model, combining commercial and residential. In contrast, the One Worldwide Plaza has remained primarily commercial.

The Random House Tower offers 101 residential units.

Both towers provide significant parking capacity, with One Worldwide Plaza offering 475 spaces and the Random House Tower offering 150.

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 Worldwide Plaza uses a Masonry facade, while the Random House Tower uses a Curtain Wall facade.

A Masonry facade like the one seen in the One Worldwide Plaza features a heavy masonry skin that gives it a more clasical look, while a curtain-wall facade like the one seen in the Random House Tower uses a lightweight glass curtain wall hung from the structure.