One of the most similar buildings to Century Tower in Chicago is the McGraw-Hill Building. Constructed in 1929, the structure was also built by architecture firm Thielbar & Fugard. Like Century Tower, it had an Art Deco aesthetic with setbacks, small windows, and geometric design. Although the original building was demolished in 1998, the old facade remains on the exterior of the new structure. Bas-relief sculptures by Gwen and Eugene Lux of figures from Roman mythology also cover the exterior the McGraw-Hill like they do Century Tower. Whereas Century Tower features sculptures of Ceres and Mercury, the McGraw-Hill shows Diana, Atlas, and Helios.

Also in Chicago, the Jeweler’s Building bears similarities to Century Tower. Also constructed by Thielbar & Fugard, the building was completed in 1927, a few years before construction began on Century Tower. Both buildings feature setbacks as a result of the 1923 Chicago Zoning Ordinance. While both have Art Deco features (namely, small windows), the Jeweler’s Building has a more ornate, classical style. Rather than an Art Deco ziggurat topper, the building has a dome.

Although not constructed by Thielbar & Fugard, the Chicago Board of Trade Building is very similar to Century Tower. Stylistically, the two structures are very alike. Both feature setbacks and similar building toppers (while Century Tower is topped by a ziggurat, the Board of Trade is topped by a similar pyramid). Sculptures on the exterior also echo those on Century Tower. Like Century Tower, the exterior decoration reflects the purpose of the building by depicting commercial activities. Even more, the Board of Trade’s sculptures also include depictions of Native Americans and corn, thereby blending classical imagery with Midwestern imagery in a similar way as Century Tower. Perhaps the most striking similarity, however, is the building’s depiction of the goddess Ceres. Ceres features heavily throughout Century Tower; she is depicted physically on exterior reliefs as well as metaphorically through a stylized corn cob topper. The Board of Trade Building depicts Ceres as well through a 31 ft statue of her that tops the building.

Although not in Chicago, the Chanin Building in New York City mirrors Century Tower in many ways. The skyscraper features similar Art Deco conventions such as setbacks, small windows, geometric designs, and a focus on verticality. Notably, the building uses many of the same materials as Century Tower; it has a similar steel frame, and terra cotta decorations cover the building’s exterior. The building also uses setbacks, a result of the New York 1916 Zoning Ordinance (similar to Chicago’s 1923 Zoning Ordinance). Exterior decoration on both buildings include bas reliefs; however, while Century Tower’s reliefs are mainly Art Deco in style and focus on human figures, the Chanin Building’s sculptures show Art Nouveau influences and mainly feature swirling patterns of plants and animals.

Another similar structure outside of Chicago is the Kansas City Power and Light Building. Built in 1931, the structure also demonstrates Art Deco style through setbacks, small windows, and geometric design. The shape of the building was similarly affected by zoning laws, in this case, the 1923 Kansas City Zoning Ordinance. But while the aesthetics of the building are similar to those of Century Tower, its most striking similarity is how it celebrates the Midwestern spirit. This is shown through the limestone that the building is made of, which was intentionally mined in Indiana.

On the other side of the country, the Los Angeles City Hall bears many similarities to Century Tower. Although the architects of the building refused to label it as Art Deco, the building features Art Deco conventions such as setbacks, small windows, and geometric design. Its most striking similarity to Century Tower is probably the ziggurat that tops the structure. While the Los Angeles City Hall uses a shape similar to that of Century Tower, it was not affected by any zoning laws that caused this shape; it was a purely aesthetic choice.