YMCA Philadelphia vs National Bank of North Philadelphia

Comparing the YMCA Philadelphia and the National Bank of North Philadelphia is interesting because they both stand in Philadelphia, PA, and were completed within 5 years of each other, 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.

Both the YMCA Philadelphia and the National Bank of North Philadelphia 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 Louis El Jallade and William H. Lee followed what was in many ways expected of them, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms, rather than breaking with convention.

Both the YMCA Philadelphia and the National Bank of North Philadelphia are primarily residential towers, serving similar roles in the urban fabric.

Originally, the National Bank of North Philadelphia was designed for commercial, but over time it was converted to residential. The YMCA Philadelphia by contrast has maintained its original role.

The YMCA Philadelphia offers 120 residential units.

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