Pittsfield Building vs Shoreline Apartments

Comparing the Pittsfield Building and the Shoreline Apartments is interesting because they both stand in Chicago, IL, and were completed just one year apart, but they were designed by different architects.

This offers a unique glimpse at how rival designers approached projects in the same city during the same era.

The Pittsfield Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 551ft (168m) with 38 floors above ground, while the Shoreline Apartments reaches 0ft (m) with 16 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 Pittsfield Building and the Shoreline Apartments were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Neogothic style.

Both buildings were completed when the Neogothic style was already past its peak. This makes them feel like late echoes of the movement, more reflective of continuity or nostalgia than of cutting-edge design at the time.

The Pittsfield Building is primarily commercial, while the Shoreline Apartments is primarily .

Originally, the Pittsfield Building was designed for medical, but over time it was converted to commercial. The Shoreline Apartments by contrast has maintained its original role.

The Shoreline Apartments offers 100 residential units.

Both the Pittsfield Building and the Shoreline 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 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.