Pavilion Apartments vs Colonnade Park Apartments

Comparing the Pavilion Apartments and the Colonnade Park Apartments is especially interesting because they share much in common. Both rise in Newark, NJ both were designed by Mies van der Rohe, and they were completed in the same year.

This overlap gives us a unique opportunity to understand how Mies van der Rohe approached different commissions in the same urban context and historical context during a short period.

Both the Pavilion Apartments and the Colonnade Park Apartments were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the International Style style.

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

Both the Pavilion Apartments and the Colonnade Park Apartments were designed to serve as residential towers, and that has remained their main use since their completion, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

In terms of capacity, the Pavilion Apartments offers 680 apartments, while the Colonnade Park Apartments provides 560 units.

Both the Pavilion Apartments and the Colonnade Park Apartments 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.