Millennium Tower vs OneEleven Building

Comparing the Millennium Tower and the OneEleven Building is an interesting exercise, because even though they are located in different cities (San Francisco, CA and Chicago, IL), both were designed by Handel Architects and finished within within 5 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.

Both the Millennium Tower and the OneEleven Building were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Contemporary style.

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

Both the Millennium Tower and the OneEleven Building are primarily residential towers, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

In terms of capacity, the Millennium Tower offers 419 apartments, while the OneEleven Building provides 504 units.

Both towers provide significant parking capacity, with Millennium Tower offering 340 spaces and the OneEleven Building offering 470.

Both the Millennium Tower and the OneEleven Building rely on a Frame structural 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.

They also employ the same type of facade, 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.