Heritage at Millennium Park vs One Rincon Hill South Tower

Comparing the Heritage at Millennium Park and the One Rincon Hill South Tower is an interesting exercise, because even though they are located in different cities (Chicago, IL and San Francisco, CA), both were designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz and finished within within 3 years of each other. This gives us the chance to see how the same architect's ideas were expressed in different urban contexts almost simultaneously.

These two towers present an interesting contrast in their proportions. The One Rincon Hill South Tower rises higher at 640ft (195m), while the Heritage at Millennium Park reaches 631ft (192.4m). However, the Heritage at Millennium Park accommodates more floors with 57 levels above ground, compared to 54 floors in the One Rincon Hill South Tower.

This suggests different approaches to interior space design. The One Rincon Hill South Tower has an average floor-to-floor height of approximately 3.6m, while the Heritage at Millennium Park has more compact floors averaging around 3.4m each.

These different proportions likely reflect the specific needs each building was designed to serve, whether driven by zoning regulations, client requirements, or the intended use of the spaces within. The contrast shows how architects can achieve different spatial experiences even when working with similar overall building scales.

Both the Heritage at Millennium Park and the One Rincon Hill South Tower were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Contemporary style.

At the time, this style was at the height of its popularity. So Solomon Cordwell Buenz followed what was in many ways expected at the time, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms rather, than breaking with convention.

The Heritage at Millennium Park follows a mixed-use model, combining residential and retail. In contrast, the One Rincon Hill South Tower has remained primarily residential.

In terms of capacity, the Heritage at Millennium Park offers 359 apartments, while the One Rincon Hill South Tower provides 390 units.

The One Rincon Hill South Tower also provides 455 parking spaces.

These two towers illustrate the many possible ways to combine structure and enclosure in skyscraper design.