U.S. Bank Tower vs One Dalton Building

Comparing the U.S. Bank Tower and the One Dalton Building is compelling because they were both designed by Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, yet they stand in different cities (Los Angeles, CA and Boston, MA), and were completed over two decades apart.

What this will allow us to see, is how the same firm's approach adapted to different places in different periods of time.

The U.S. Bank Tower is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 1017ft (310m) with 73 floors above ground, while the One Dalton Building reaches 748ft (228m) with 61 floors above ground.

U.S. Bank Tower also offers more total built-up area, a total fo 1,754,516 sqf (163,000m²), which is about 1,048,511 sqf (97,410m²) more than what the One Dalton Building offers.

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.

The U.S. Bank Tower was designed in the Postmodernism style, while the One Dalton Building reflects the principles of Contemporary.

At the time of their completion, both styles were well established. This makes the comparison especially interesting, because both buildings represent a dominant aesthetic at a particular point in time.

Built 30 years apart (1989 vs 2019), these two buildings are a perfect example of how different architectural styles have shaped the architectural landscape of our cities over time.

The One Dalton Building follows a mixed-use model, combining residential and hotel. In contrast, the U.S. Bank Tower has remained primarily commercial.

The One Dalton Building incorporates a 5-star hotel with 215 rooms. More information is available at the official website.

The One Dalton Building offers 160 residential units.

The U.S. Bank Tower also provides 1396 parking spaces.

The two towers rely on different structural systems, reflecting distinct engineering strategies.

The U.S. Bank Tower uses a Framed Tube In Tube structural system, which combines a strong central core with a perimeter tube of columns, while the One Dalton Building uses a Frame system, that relies on a regular grid of columns and beams to sustain its weight.

Yet, when it comes to their facade, they both employed the same solution, a Curtain Wall facade.

A curtain wall is a non-load-bearing facade hung from the structural frame. It is anchored to floor slabs and transfers only its own weight and wind loads, allowing for sleek, glassy exteriors.