First Market Tower vs Spear Tower at One Market Plaza

Comparing the First Market Tower and the Spear Tower at One Market Plaza is interesting because they both stand in San Francisco, CA, and were completed within 3 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.

The Spear Tower at One Market Plaza is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 564ft (172m) with 42 floors above ground, while the First Market Tower reaches 528ft (161m) with 38 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 First Market Tower and the Spear Tower at One Market Plaza were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the International Style style.

Both buildings were completed when the International Style style was already past its peak. This makes them feel like late echoes of the movement, more reflective of continuity or nostalgia than of cutting-edge design at the time.

Both the First Market Tower and the Spear Tower at One Market Plaza were designed to serve as commercial towers, and that has remained their main use since their completion, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

The Spear Tower at One Market Plaza also provides 162 parking spaces.

Both towers share the same structural solution, a Frame 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.

However, when it comes to the facade, both buildings use different approaches. The First Market Tower uses a Curtain Wall facade, while the Spear Tower at One Market Plaza uses a Modular facade.

A Curtain Wall facade like the one seen in the First Market Tower uses a lightweight glass curtain wall hung from the structure, while a modular facade like the one seen in the Spear Tower at One Market Plaza employs prefabricated panels, often mixing solid surfaces with smaller windows.