Regions Center vs First Bank and Trust Tower

Comparing the Regions Center and the First Bank and Trust Tower is compelling because they were both designed by Welton Becket & Associates, yet they stand in different cities (Birmingham, AL and New Orleans, LA), and were completed a decade apart.

What this will allow us to see, is how the same firm's approach adapted to different places in different periods of time.

The First Bank and Trust Tower is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 482ft (147m) with 36 floors above ground, while the Regions Center reaches 390ft (119m) with 30 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.

The Regions Center was designed in the International Style style, while the First Bank and Trust Tower reflects the principles of Postmodernism.

The Regions Center represents a late expression of the International Style, a style already in decline in 1972 when it was completed. By contrast, the First Bank and Trust Tower followed the then mainstream Postmodernism, embodying the dominant architectural direction of its time.

Both the Regions Center and the First Bank and Trust Tower were designed to serve as commercial towers, and that has remained their main use since their completion, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

Both towers provide significant parking capacity, with Regions Center offering 390 spaces and the First Bank and Trust Tower offering 520.

Both the Regions Center and the First Bank and Trust 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 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.