Market Tower vs Salesforce Tower

Market Tower
Salesforce Tower

Comparing the Market Tower and the Salesforce Tower is interesting because they both stand in Indianapolis, IN, and were completed within 2 years of each other, 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.

Height
128m
Floors
32

Height & Size

Height
214m
Floors
48

The Salesforce Tower is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 702ft (214m) with 48 floors above ground, while the Market Tower reaches 420ft (128m) with 32 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.

Style
Postmodernism

Architectural Style

Style
Postmodernism

Both the Market Tower and the Salesforce Tower were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Postmodernism style.

At the time, this style was at the height of its popularity. So both Lohan Associates and KlingStubbins followed what was in many ways expected of them, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms, rather than breaking with convention.

Main use
Commercial

Uses

Main use
Commercial

Both the Market Tower and the Salesforce 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 Market Tower offering 700 spaces and the Salesforce Tower offering 895.

Structure
Frame
Facade
Curtain Wall

Structure & Facade

Structure
Framed Tube In Tube
Facade
Curtain Wall

The two towers rely on different structural systems, reflecting distinct engineering strategies.

The Market Tower uses a Frame structural system, which relies on a regular grid of columns and beams to sustain its weight, while the Salesforce Tower uses a Framed Tube In Tube system, that combines a strong central core with a perimeter tube of columns.

Yet, when it comes to their facade, they both employed the same solution, 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.

Market Tower Salesforce Tower
Lohan Associates Architect KlingStubbins
1986 Construction Started 1987
1988 Year Completed 1990
Postmodernism Architectural Style Postmodernism
Commercial Current Use Commercial
32 Floors Above Ground 48
128 m Height (m) 214 m
47,242 m² Usable Area (m²) 84,092 m²
12 Number of Elevators 31
Frame Structure Type Framed Tube In Tube
Concrete Vertical Structure Material Steel
Concrete, Steel Horizontal Structure Material Concrete And Steel
Granite, Glass Main Facade Material Granite, Aluminum, Glass
Huber, Hunt & Nichols Main Contractor Huber, Hunt & Nichols
Mansur Development Corporation Developer Galbreath Company
IN State IN
Indianapolis City Indianapolis
10 W Market Street Address 111 Monument Circle