Town Apartments vs Detroit Free Press Building

Comparing the Town Apartments and the Detroit Free Press Building is interesting because they both rise in Detroit, MI, yet they were conceived by two different design teams, Smith, Hinchman & Grylls and Albert Kahn Associates, and were completed at different points in time. They were finished over two decades apart.

This contrast within the same city allows us to see how different creative minds interpreted the evolving needs of Detroit across time.

Let's take a closer look!

The Town Apartments is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 194ft (59m) with 15 floors above ground, while the Detroit Free Press Building reaches 190ft (58m) with 14 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.

Both the Town Apartments and the Detroit Free Press Building were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Art Deco style.

The Town Apartments was designed at a moment when the Art Deco style was already in decline, making it more of a lingering expression of the movement. In contrast, the Detroit Free Press Building style was already in decline, making it more of a lingering expression of the movement. In contrast, the Detroit Free Press Building was built when the style still carried greater cultural weight.

Both the Town Apartments and the Detroit Free Press Building are primarily residential towers, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

Originally, the Detroit Free Press Building was designed for commercial, but over time it was converted to residential. The Town Apartments by contrast has maintained its original role.

In terms of capacity, the Town Apartments offers 250 apartments, while the Detroit Free Press Building provides 105 units.

Both towers provide significant parking capacity, with Town Apartments offering 25 spaces and the Detroit Free Press Building offering 105.

Both the Town Apartments and the Detroit Free Press 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.