The Majestic Building vs 20 Exchange Place Building

The Majestic Building
20 Exchange Place Building

Comparing the The Majestic Building and the 20 Exchange Place Building is interesting because they both stand in New York, NY, and were completed in the same year, 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
105m
Floors
31

Height & Size

Height
236m
Floors
57

The 20 Exchange Place Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 774ft (236m) with 57 floors above ground, while the The Majestic Building reaches 344ft (105m) with 31 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 Majestic Building and the 20 Exchange Place 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 Irwin S. Chanin and Cross & Cross 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
Residential

Both the The Majestic Building and the 20 Exchange Place Building are primarily residential towers, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

Originally, the 20 Exchange Place Building was designed for commercial, but over time it was converted to residential. The The Majestic Building by contrast has maintained its original role.

In terms of capacity, the The Majestic Building offers 238 apartments, while the 20 Exchange Place Building provides 762 units.

Structure
Frame
Facade
Masonry

Structure & Facade

Structure
Frame
Facade

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

The Majestic Building 20 Exchange Place Building
Irwin S. Chanin Architect Cross & Cross
1930 Construction Started 1930
1931 Year Completed 1931
Art Deco Architectural Style Art Deco
Residential Current Use Residential
31 Floors Above Ground 57
105 m Height (m) 236 m
12 Number of Elevators 27
238 Residential Units 762
Frame Structure Type Frame
Steel Vertical Structure Material Steel
Concrete Horizontal Structure Material Concrete
No Facade Structural? No
Bricks Main Facade Material Stone
NY State NY
New York City New York
115 Central Park West Address 20 Exchange Place