Willis Tower vs University Club Tower

Comparing the Willis Tower and the University Club Tower is compelling because they were both designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, yet they stand in different cities (Chicago, IL and Milwaukee, WI), 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 Willis Tower is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 1450ft (442m) with 108 floors above ground, while the University Club Tower reaches 446ft (136m) with 34 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.

The Willis Tower was designed in the International Style style, while the University Club Tower reflects the principles of Contemporary.

The Willis Tower represents a late expression of the International Style, a style already in decline in 1974 when it was completed. By contrast, the University Club Tower followed the then mainstream Contemporary, embodying the dominant architectural direction of its time.

With 33 years between them, the comparison also reflects how quickly architectural priorities can shift from one dominant language to another.

The Willis Tower is primarily commercial, while the University Club Tower is primarily residential.

The University Club Tower offers 53 residential units.

The University Club Tower also provides 106 parking spaces.

Both towers share the same structural solution, a Frame 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.

However, when it comes to the facade, both buildings use different approaches. The Willis Tower uses a Curtain Wall facade, while the University Club Tower uses a Modular facade.

A Curtain Wall facade like the one seen in the Willis Tower uses a lightweight glass curtain wall hung from the structure, while a modular facade like the one seen in the University Club Tower employs prefabricated panels, often mixing solid surfaces with smaller windows.