Seagram Building vs Two Illinois Center

Comparing the Seagram Building and the Two Illinois Center is compelling because they were both designed by Mies van der Rohe, yet they stand in different cities (New York, NY and Chicago, IL), 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 Seagram Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 515ft (157m) with 38 floors above ground, while the Two Illinois Center reaches 374ft (114m) 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.

Both the Seagram Building and the Two Illinois Center were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the International Style style.

The Two Illinois Center was designed at a moment when the International Style style was already in decline, making it more of a lingering expression of the movement. In contrast, the Seagram Building was built when the style still carried greater cultural weight.

Both the Seagram Building and the Two Illinois Center 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 the Seagram Building and the Two Illinois Center 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.