Palmolive Building vs LaSalle-Wacker Building

Comparing the Palmolive Building and the LaSalle-Wacker Building is especially interesting because they share much in common. Both rise in Chicago, IL both were designed by Holabird & Root, and they were completed just one year apart.

This overlap gives us a unique opportunity to understand how Holabird & Root approached different commissions in the same urban context and historical context during a short period.

These two towers present an interesting contrast in their proportions. The Palmolive Building rises higher at 564ft (172m), while the LaSalle-Wacker Building reaches 512ft (156m). However, the LaSalle-Wacker Building accommodates more floors with 41 levels above ground, compared to 37 floors in the Palmolive Building.

This suggests different approaches to interior space design. The Palmolive Building has an average floor-to-floor height of approximately 4.6m, while the LaSalle-Wacker Building has more compact floors averaging around 3.8m 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.

Both the Palmolive Building and the LaSalle-Wacker Building were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Art Deco style.

At the time, this style was at the height of its popularity. So Holabird & Root followed what was in many ways expected at the time, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms rather, than breaking with convention.

The Palmolive Building is primarily residential, while the LaSalle-Wacker Building is primarily commercial.

Originally, the Palmolive Building was designed for commercial, but over time it was converted to residential. The LaSalle-Wacker Building by contrast has maintained its original role.

The Palmolive Building offers 102 residential units.

The LaSalle-Wacker Building also provides 95 parking spaces.

Both the Palmolive Building and the LaSalle-Wacker 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 Masonry facade.

A masonry facade gives the building a heavier, more traditional appearance. It often conceals a frame structure behind it, creating the look of solid walls without carrying the main loads.