Market Tower vs 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 & Size
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.
Architectural Style
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.
Uses
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 & Facade
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 |