Palmolive Building vs Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse

Comparing the Palmolive Building and the Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse is an interesting exercise, because even though they are located in different cities (Chicago, IL and Saint Paul, MN), both were designed by Holabird & Root and finished within within 3 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.

The Palmolive Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 564ft (172m) with 37 floors above ground, while the Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse reaches 259ft (79m) with 22 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 Palmolive Building and the Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse 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 Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse is primarily governmental.

Originally, the Palmolive Building was designed for commercial, but over time it was converted to residential. The Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse by contrast has maintained its original role.

The Palmolive Building offers 102 residential units.

Both the Palmolive Building and the Saint Paul City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse 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.