State Office Building vs Tenney Building


Comparing the State Office Building and the Tenney Building is interesting because they both stand in Madison, WI, and were completed just one year apart, 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 State Office Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 177ft (54m) with 13 floors above ground, while the Tenney Building reaches 125ft (38m) with 10 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 State Office Building and the Tenney Building were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Art Deco style.
At the time, this style was at the height of its popularity. So both Arthur Peabody and Law, Law & Potter followed what was in many ways expected of them, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms, rather than breaking with convention.
Uses
The State Office Building is primarily governmental, while the Tenney Building is primarily commercial.
Structure & Facade
Both the State Office Building and the Tenney Building 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 Masonry facade.
A masonry facade gives the building a heavier, more traditional appearance. It often conceals a frame structure behind it, creating the look of solid walls without carrying the main loads.
State Office Building | Tenney Building | |
---|---|---|
Arthur Peabody | Architect | Law, Law & Potter |
1929 | Design Ended | 1928 |
1930 | Construction Started | 1929 |
1931 | Year Completed | 1930 |
Art Deco | Architectural Style | Art Deco |
Governmental | Current Use | Commercial |
13 | Floors Above Ground | 10 |
54 m | Height (m) | 38 m |
Frame | Structure Type | Frame |
Conrete | Vertical Structure Material | Steel |
Concrete | Horizontal Structure Material | Concrete |
Granite | Main Facade Material | Limestone |
State Of Wisconsin | Developer | Charles H. Tenney |
WI | State | WI |
Madison | City | Madison |
1 W Wilson Street | Address | 110 E. Main Street |