Powhatan Apartments vs Century Tower

Comparing the Powhatan Apartments and the Century Tower 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 Century Tower is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 395ft (120.4m) with 28 floors above ground, while the Powhatan Apartments reaches 269ft (82m) 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 Powhatan Apartments and the Century Tower 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 both Charles L. Morgan & Robert De Golyer and Thielbar & Fugard 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 Powhatan Apartments and the Century Tower are primarily residential towers, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

Originally, the Century Tower was designed for commercial, but over time it was converted to residential. The Powhatan Apartments by contrast has maintained its original role.

In terms of capacity, the Powhatan Apartments offers 40 apartments, while the Century Tower provides 292 units.

Both the Powhatan Apartments and the Century Tower 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.