The Kean Building vs AT&T Building

The Kean Building
AT&T Building

Comparing the The Kean Building and the AT&T Building is interesting because they both stand in Detroit, MI, 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.

Height
55m
Floors
16

Height & Size

Height
97m
Floors
19

The AT&T Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 318ft (97m) with 19 floors above ground, while the The Kean Building reaches 180ft (55m) with 16 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.

Style
Art Deco

Architectural Style

Style
Art Deco

Both the The Kean Building and the AT&T 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 Charles Noble and Smith, Hinchman & Grylls followed what was in many ways expected of them, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms, rather than breaking with convention.

Main use
Residential

Uses

Main use
Commercial

The The Kean Building is primarily residential, while the AT&T Building is primarily commercial.

The The Kean Building offers 49 residential units.

Structure
Facade

Structure & Facade

Structure
Facade

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

The Kean Building AT&T Building
Charles Noble Architect Smith, Hinchman & Grylls
1930 Construction Started 1912
1931 Year Completed 1928
Art Deco Architectural Style Art Deco
Residential Current Use Commercial
16 Floors Above Ground 19
55 m Height (m) 97 m
Brick Main Facade Material Bricks
MI State MI
Detroit City Detroit
8925 East Jefferson Avenue Address 1365 Cass Avenue