Center of attention

What design would make Denver's urban heart beat?

Mary Voelz Chandler, Rocky Mountain News

Friday, July 7, 2006

Ever since the Civic Center Conservancy hired architect Daniel Libeskind last fall to come up with concepts to improve Civic Center, the urban heart of Denver has been the talk of the town.

Not that we have seen any of Libeskind's ideas yet; we've only heard about the attention-grabbing concepts the designer of the Denver Art Museum's new Frederic C. Hamilton Building may propose. The architect was to have presented ideas last month, but illness forced a postponement. Now word is we're looking at September before the presentation can be rescheduled.

Yes, we can hardly wait, but the fact remains: What to do with Civic Center — that much-studied, much-maligned assemblage of Beaux Arts architecture and landscape features — is still a hot topic.

Libeskind's presentation will kick off a public comment period, but why wait? The Rocky Mountain News asked five respected local design professionals to propose the one big idea they think would activate Civic Center. Some stuck to the concept of "one," while others envision major remakes of a part of Denver that is key to the history and civic discourse of the city.

The following text was supplied by the designers:

'Green ribbon'

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Who: William Wenk: founder/principal of Wenk Associates, a landscape architecture and planning firm whose projects include Denver's Northside Park, the city's Game Plan for parks and the Sand Creek Greenway

The theory: a "green ribbon" as a vehicle to increase the tree canopy, create outdoor "rooms," and link other improvements planned for Civic Center.

The proposal: I would propose a 'green ribbon,' a sinuous loggia that extends the length of the lawn opposite the Carnegie library (now the McNichols Civic Center Building) across the central east-west axis be built. The ribbon creates a shady oasis and a flexible framework that could be extended farther through the park to accommodate the farmers market, periodic exhibits and other small events that bring life to the park. Restrooms, a cafe, vendors' carts and a series of pools, canals and small fountains would be accommodated along the ribbon. Although the ribbon is a contemporary form, it fits comfortably within the park's geometry and honors its historic qualities.

A strong axis

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Who: Yong Cho, co-founder/principal of Studio Completiva Inc., an architecture and planning firm whose projects include the Capitol Heights Apartments and the ArtHouse and Monarch Mills residential projects.

The theory: The park lacks a strong sense of identity and place, is divided by Broadway and internal elements, is difficult to reach from downtown, lacks a well-defined east-west axis defined by the State Capitol and the City and County Building, and needs a north-south axis.

The proposal: Create a strong east-west axis by sinking Broadway under the park and creating a grass mall, with gravel paths on either side, each path defined by an alleé of trees. A subordinate north-south axis is the existing one formed by the Greek Theater and Voorhies Memorial. The park edges are defined by a row of trees, creating a sense of the space of the park. A series of ellipses provides circulation routes that further divide the park into a system of parterres and smaller spaces, which could become intimate places for public art or specific public activities. To make the park accessible from downtown, Civic Center would be linked via a pedestrian bridge across Colfax and above Broadway, highlighting the most significant intersection in Colorado. This bridge would link the park with the RTD Civic Center Station at the terminus of the 16th Street Mall.

Formal edge

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Who: Steve Chucovich, founder/principal ArchitectureDenver, an architecture and planning firm whose projects include the Millennium Bridge and Valdez-Perry Branch Library.

The theory: Continue the evolution of our perception of urban space from the grand City Beautiful to a more user-friendly functional environment and offer an opportunity for this space to evolve into a safer, more cohesive environment.

The proposal: Sink Colfax Avenue into a tunnel below the Civic Center. (That) would break down the major barrier to linking the downtown north to south while reinforcing the east-west axis from the Capitol to the City and County Building. This will allow for the introduction of new buildings on the north side of Civic Center, creating a more formal edge, and create special plaza spaces for the Voorhies Memorial and Pioneer Monument, giving them greater prominence in the urban context. On the south edge, the undulation of 14th Avenue around the Greek Theater is greatly accentuated up into Capitol Hill, creating a strong foil to the new north edge. The Clyfford Still Museum would be placed on the lawn directly southeast of the City and County Building. A pedestrian connection to the south would run from the Wellington Webb Municipal Office Building to the museum and library. Finally, a major design element would be the uninterrupted linking of the park over Lincoln and Broadway by the undulating landscaped ribbon. Public parking could be constructed below the ribbon.

Let it grow

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Who: Susan Saarinen, principal, Saarinen Landscape Architecture, whose projects include Foothills Art Center's new sculpture garden, Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge and Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge.

The theory: Symbolic of home, strength, life and family, trees also represent nourishment, water and shade, making them the best choice for guiding the public to and through Civic Center park.

The proposal: Generations enjoy the welcoming and sheltering character of urban forests and allées, which form connections, frame views, moderate the micro-climate and complement the skyline. When chosen for their drought resistance, trees — large or small — need little water once established. They give a human scale to our landscape and invite us to participate in civic activities, watch the birds or read a book on a shady bench.

Time to build

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Who: Richard Farley, architect and planner, principal with Civitas Inc. landscape architecture, urban design and planning firm. His projects include the Union Station master plan, and, during a decade as deputy director of urban design for the City and County of Denver, numerous urban design projects, studies and plans.

The theory: While Civic Center is one of the largest, most beautiful and intact historic civic centers in the country, it has two serious problems: lack of consistent and normal use by visitors and residents, which allows the Civic Center park to be taken over by vagrancy and illegal activity; and poor pedestrian access to the park from businesses, civic and residential uses.

The proposal: Since the 1917 Bennett Plan (for Civic Center), a building site has existed in the park's southwestern sector. This should be acted on by constructing a public civic use such as the Colorado History Museum, which apparently is looking for a new location. It needs parking, as does the City and County Building. The western portion of the park, under the lawn, could accommodate an underground parking structure. And add a full-service restaurant to the southern side of the McNichols Building. The architecture of these new structures should be of our times, not only to authentically express our culture and art, but also to respect the existing historic buildings in the Civic Center. They should be elegant and restrained. since they must not visually compete with the iconic buildings around which the original Civic Center was organized: the State Capitol and the City and County Building. A strong framework is necessary to place the new buildings in this exceptional context. This framework should be in the form of a classical colonnade that defines the axis and view between the City and County Building and the State Capitol, provides a new "front" to the back of the old Carnegie Library, and a screen for the access ramp to the underground garage. To improve access from downtown, along 14th Street and the 16th Street Mall, I propose two wide pedestrian underpasses with mid-span skylights. Access to these underpasses would be directly from the Mall at Broadway and along Cleveland Place, and from 14th Street across the Webb Building's plaza.

Move the party

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Who: Mary Voelz Chandler, art and architecture critic, Rocky Mountain News.

The theory: Civic Center is being alternately trampled to death and avoided, and is perceived as a hotbed of crime. Any money needed for this project should be put to a public vote.

The proposal: Civic Center needs activity, but the spate of summer festivals (Cinco de Mayo, People's Fair and Taste of Colorado) means heavy use by hundreds of thousands of people during the hottest, driest part of the year. So move some of that crushing action into Commons Park. After all, in some of the early plans for parks along the Platte River, a "commons park" was seen as a way to attract development and a backup for festivals that had become rooted in Civic Center. A "green bond issue" to raise money for Civic Center, dozens of other parks and parkways and the Denver Botanic Gardens would infuse much-needed cash for improvements, plantings, repairs and modern, efficient irrigation. Instead of adding incompatible elements to Civic Center or flirting with a theme park atmosphere and corporate logos, take care of the place. Oh, also add a restaurant in the McNichols Building and install crosswalks on Broadway and Colfax that actually give people time to cross the street.

Through the years Civic Center Park landmark dates:

• 1909: Frederick MacMonnies worked on the composition of Civic Center, with the orientation we see today. The Carnegie Library, now the McNichols Building, also completed.

• 1919: Completion of Voorhies Memorial, Greek Theater and balustrade.

• 1932: Completion of City and County Building.

• 2005: Civic Center Park Master Plan approved by Parks and Recreation Department and Denver City Council.