Lee Plaza Building vs The Kean Building

Comparing the Lee Plaza Building and the The Kean Building is especially interesting because they share much in common. Both rise in Detroit, MI both were designed by Charles Noble, and they were completed within 2 years of each other.

This overlap gives us a unique opportunity to understand how Charles Noble approached different commissions in the same urban context and historical context during a short period.

Both the Lee Plaza Building and the The Kean 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 Charles Noble followed what was in many ways expected at the time, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms rather, than breaking with convention.

Both the Lee Plaza Building and the The Kean Building are primarily residential towers, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

Originally, the Lee Plaza Building was designed for hotel, but over time it was converted to residential. The The Kean Building by contrast has maintained its original role.

In terms of capacity, the Lee Plaza Building offers 117 apartments, while the The Kean Building provides 49 units.

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