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Denver Architecture

go do it

Well I get to work in Denver for about 4 weeks which is pretty cool.

Other than the architecture that I will be able to get off of google is there some that you guys can recommend? 

I have been reading a lot on Japanese homes, gardens and design lately. Is there any up in Denver?

THX

 
Jul 15, 17 11:36 pm
archanonymous

Not sure about homes but Sakura square is a nice place to chill out downtown. 


Skyline Park also very good... watch out for the flat-billed caps though. 

Ponti's building at the Denver Art Museum is wonderful. Clyfford Still Museum great as well. Denver Botanical Gardens. Blue Cross Blue Shield Building. NREL's building is amazing if you can get a tour... top secret though. 

Honestly not the most architecturally inspiring city, which is why i left.

Jul 16, 17 12:33 pm  · 
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Wilma Buttfit

Botanic gardens has a nice Japanese Garden.

Not Japanese, but the Dushanbe Teahouse in Boulder. 

Also in Boulder, NCAR. You can hike around there too, just leave your car in the parking lot. 

Also the Chapel at the Air Force. It is just north of Colorado Springs. 


Jul 16, 17 6:29 pm  · 
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Wilma Buttfit

Red Rocks Amphitheatre and visitor center.

Jul 16, 17 9:59 pm  · 
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davvid

There is a cluster of buildings around the Denver Art Museum that are worth seeing:

Denver Art Museum (old building) by Gio Ponti
Denver Art Museum (new building) by Daniel Libeskind
The Clyfford Still museum by Allied Works
Denver Central Library by Michael Graves

The Wells Fargo Center Tower is by Phillip Johnson. Not his greatest work, but the top of the tower is interesting. 

Also, the downtown Sheraton hotel is in an amazing brutalist building. 

Jul 17, 17 9:39 am  · 
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davvid

Also the Museum of Contemporary Art by David Adjaye

Jul 17, 17 10:20 am  · 
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Volunteer

The Univ. of Colorado Boulder campus is worth a visit. Most  of the buildings are a form of Tuscan Revival. Very attractive taken altogether.

Jul 17, 17 10:45 am  · 
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archanonymous

Volunteer, I assume you are joking. That campus is terrible.


Denver International Airport is actually one of my favorite buildings. I think Fentress does exceptional work.


The new ISG building adjacent to Union Station has some cool stuff going on in the brick. 

Union Station's new train canopy is also superlative - SOM San Francisco.

Jul 17, 17 11:42 am  · 
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wurdan freo

I'd take the boulder campus over DIA anyday. The boulder campus is subtle in it's architecture, but the flatirons are the real icon. DIA is the worst fucking airport I've ever had the pleasure of using. Fucking sucks! with a capital F!  Not to mention DIA is impossible to get to. Fucking hour drive from half of Denver. 

I'd also take the Gonzales library over Graves bullshit any day. 

Frankly.... If you're here for 4 weeks.  spend your time here!


Jul 17, 17 11:25 pm  · 
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JLC-1

Just dont try to drive up the mountains on friday evening or saturday morning

Jul 17, 17 11:30 pm  · 
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Volunteer

"Volunteer, I assume you are joking. That campus is terrible." Nope, I like it a lot. I would have loved to have gone to school that had such an attractive campus.

Jul 18, 17 7:36 am  · 
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geezertect

Volunteer is right.  CU does have a spectacular campus and setting.  What's the problem?  Maybe those who don't like it think it isn't "urban" enough.  Fine.  Go to CU Denver.  It will have enough druggies, panhandlers and bums to satisfy the most discriminating architect's taste.

Jul 18, 17 8:21 am  · 
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Wilma Buttfit

Boulder has plenty of druggies, panhandlers and bums!

Jul 18, 17 9:05 am  · 
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Wilma Buttfit

Denver currently has 35 cranes in the sky. Link

Jul 18, 17 2:34 pm  · 
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mightyaa

Since 2010, the downtown area has added 128 new non-residential buildings over 4 stories.  Interactive map and writeup (they also have a residential one too) http://denverinfill.com/blog/2...

Jul 18, 17 5:27 pm  · 
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go do it

been away for a bit THX for the post.


i am up here now and there are a bunch of cranes up for sure.


i don't know how active architects are up here but civil engineers and road designers? are busy tearing up the roads around here.   

Jul 19, 17 1:06 am  · 
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geezertect

Places to AVOID:  The Sixteenth Street mall for starters. Mediocre by day and dangerous at night.  Ditto for Civic Center, which is a City Beautiful creation that has been allowed to be turned into a homeless encampment. 

Jul 19, 17 6:49 am  · 
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mightyaa

To counter geezer; I've never really felt scared anywhere in Denver or can think of places I wouldn't go...  During the summer Tues-Thurs at Civic Center is Denver Eats (about 20 food trucks).  I've also hung out in Civic Center after work killing time before hitting up the museum.  Can't say I've been there at night though.  There are vagrants like everywhere in Denver.  

City Park, Washington Park, etc are also part of the City Beautiful creations.

16th Street has always been a tourist trap; never been something I was into besides just people watching and using the bus to get across downtown.  

Jul 19, 17 10:22 am  · 
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geezertect

The mall and Civic Center are tame enough in the day but turn nasty after hours.  Another place that is fine in the daytime but not at night is the Cherry Creek bike trail.

Jul 19, 17 7:04 pm  · 
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I just recently visited the Museum of Contemporary Art by David Adjaye for first time. Was suitably impressed.

If you make it to Civic Center/museum district, The Clyfford Still museum by Allied Works is also excellent (oh man that "open lattice of concrete" ceiling/light diffuser) and you can check out another one of their's under construction, nearby.

You just missed Denver Design Week (and accompanying talks/tours etc al.), but Virginia Village/Krisana Park ft some good local examples of mid-mod homes. There is also a tactical urbanism event on south Broadway next week. Plus a ton of hipster food-courts/food markets in post-industrial/post-hangar spaces (see the Source in RiNo, Denver Central Market or Lowry, Stanley Marketplace).

Finally, go do it hit me up if you are interested in a meetup while here?

Jul 22, 17 12:31 am  · 
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geezertect

Arapahoe Acres (now a historic district) has even better and more varied mid-mod houses than Krisana Park, which has gotten a little beaten down over the years. Construction-wise, they weren't the best houses particularly for the Denver climate. AA is located north and east from roughly South Marion and East Dartmouth, in Englewood. Also some nice examples still remain in the Hilltop area, but they are getting scraped at a fast pace.

Jul 22, 17 2:09 pm  · 
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Wasn't aware of that hood! Nice homes, for instance check out - The Subry House 1956

Jul 22, 17 11:08 pm  · 
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go do it

Thanks for all the suggestions. 

here is a song i found on the radio while up there

Oct 17, 17 11:06 pm  · 
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Which station? KUVO? I appreciate the fact we have an all comedy station too...

Oct 17, 17 11:53 pm  · 
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go do it

yes it was KUVO

Oct 18, 17 7:28 pm  · 
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go do it

the all comedy station was cool and i got the best steak of my life at Bastien's

Oct 18, 17 7:31 pm  · 
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Somehow I haven't made it to Bastien's yet. Need to go, been on my list...

Oct 19, 17 12:24 am  · 
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Alexandra Goldstein

Hi Architects.
Can you recommend a kit house company in Colorado that imports homes abroad? I live in Boulder and my friend from Israel wants to buy and build it in Israel.

Oct 30, 17 6:42 pm  · 
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tduds

If you're buying a kit house and building it in Israel, why is it important that it comes from Colorado?

Oct 30, 17 7:05 pm  · 
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Alexandra Goldstein

It doesn't matter to him what state it is from. The point is that I currently live in Boulder, Colorado and I am working as an architect in Israel. I suggested him that if he ordered the house from Colorado company, I could go and see the house and give my professional opinion. In addition, I plan to move back to Israel this summer and then perhaps I will be able to continue working with the company and offer their kit houses to my clients in Israel.

Oct 30, 17 10:37 pm  · 
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archanonymous

If you go to Denver, absolute must: Sushi Den Omakase

Last time I was back my view had softened a bit... History Colorado is a nice building, and I now find Michael Graves Library delightful. The MCA and the associated office building around the corner (both by Adjaye) are not to be missed. The Clyfford Still museum is still awesome. I rather like the Blue Cross Blue Shield Building as well.  Union Station (both restoration and new train canopy) are great.

Most of the residential going up around downtown looks absolutely tragic. All the single family and condos going up in the Highlands are not much better.  But its all relative I suppose... I wonder if the market could or would support something different - a more sophisticated multi-family product?

Oct 30, 17 9:01 pm  · 
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Wilma Buttfit

I like the exterior of the Graves library but the interior leaves something to be desired. The multi-family schlop is a new style, called Denver Sketch-up Fugly. :) The MCA is great.

Nov 2, 17 10:02 am  · 
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Wilma Buttfit
geezertect

If you want to see a nice library, check out the branch at Lincoln and Ellsworth. Architect was Vic Hornbein in 1951. It's done in FLW usonian style. Delightful little building.  Hornbein was partners with architect Ed White who figured in Kerouac's On the Road.

Nov 2, 17 11:42 am  · 
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Wilma Buttfit

A friend has been visiting who is a big beat poet fan so we've been retracing the steps of Kerouac, Cassady, and Ginsberg in Denver and suburbs. There's a sandwhich shop that I used to visit all the time and I would always look at that apartment building while eating my sandwich and it turns out Jack used to live there. 

Nov 2, 17 9:58 am  · 
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Wilma Buttfit

'an' apartment building, not that.

Nov 2, 17 10:10 am  · 
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I almost went on this related walk last year. Also they've started an annual Dead Beat Walking Tour. Next year maybe?

Nov 14, 17 12:14 am  · 
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