Denver architecture: 10 buildings worth the trip

Mary Voelz Chandler

Published August 15, 2008 at 3 p.m.

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Photo by Ellen Jaskol, The Rocky

Restoration of the Sage Building includes the historic cornice as well as windows.

Photo by Ellen Jaskol, The Rocky

Detail of a terra-cotta element at the Sage Building.

Denver is awash with new buildings and public art, evidence of a construction boom that's remaking 14th Street and turning lower downtown and Central Platte Valley into a navigational challenge.

Still, quantity is not quality, so this isn't all sunshine. For every gem there's a dog: a building or piece of art suffering from a bad case of missed opportunity.

With a wave of visitors set to hit Denver this month for the Democratic National Convention, and the belief that people who live here should keep an eye on what's going up in their backyard, here are some suggestions on how to appreciate our ever-growing city.

What follows are 10 places well worth a visit, plus five certain to prompt an aesthetic headache. This does not include various projects - think the Spire and the Denver Justice Center - not far enough out of the ground to know which category they're in. But there's plenty to look at . . . or not.

Sage Building

* What, where: Built as the Steel Building and commonly called the Fontius Building, on the 16th Street Mall between Welton and California streets.

* Why look: A star is reborn; this 1923 Renaissance design by Merrill Hoyt began as a department store but was a vacant mess by the end of the 20th century. Its good lines and generous windows survived and are being brought back by architects at klipp, terra-cotta expert (and artist) Barry Rose and developer Evan Makovsky. The work ranges from restoration of numerous building details (Rose estimates he's used 14 tons of clay on the project) to installation of windows that please preservationists and green types.

Taxi I and II

* What, where: mixed use, 3457 Ringsby Court

* Why look: Developer Mickey Zeppelin - with architects Will Bruder, David Baker, Harry Teague and Alan Brown - has turned an old Yellow Cab terminal building into offices, residences and amenities with a mix of high-tech, Western and bohemian flair. Taxi has transformed an industrial site on the edge of nowhere into a place that acknowledges the Platte River and helps anchor the progressive River North Art District. It's bravura risk-taking, a project that deserves a look. And protection: RTD, in a bid for the 2008 bad-neighbor award, wants to put a glorified bus barn on property earmarked for Taxi's next phase.

16th Street Mall

* What, where: Downtown's commercial spine

* Why look: This is a haven for pedestrians and anyone who wants to save time and parking fees by zipping around town on the mall bus. The mall's tree canopy, sleek light fixtures, and subtle gray and rose granite paver pattern are the genius of I.M. Pei and Henry Cobb. Enjoy it now: RTD is still talking about replacing the granite with concrete.

The Red House

* What, where: residence, 1702 Wazee St.

* Why look: Major art patrons and philanthropists Jan and Fred Mayer did everything right when they decided to move downtown. They retained Jim Olson of the Seattle firm then known as Olson Sundberg Architects to design an urban dwelling that excels at many things. It can handle public events, showcase art, serve as an elegant abode and be a good neighbor. That sandstone, after all, respects Lower Downtown's red brick. For those of us just passing by, this rare single- family dwelling in the heart of the city is just awfully nice to admire.

The Blue Bear

* What, where: More formally titled I See What You Mean, peering inside the Colorado Convention Center

* Why look: Denver-based artist Lawrence Argent struck numerous chords with this immense creature: playful, graphic and wonderfully subversive, making it a favorite for a broad audience - something tough to do with public art. Blue has new landscaping, a mini-forest that might be more sustainable considering the crowds he draws.

MCA/Denver

* What, where: contemporary art museum, 1485 Delgany St.

* Why look: It's smoky black, sports an entry ramp instead of a front door, and reflects an air of mystery. But inside, David Adjaye's first U.S. project (opened in October 2007) turns out to be a light-filled museum crafted to not only provide spaces for contemporary art, but also to be kind to the environment. The rooftop cafe and garden cap it off, offering memorable views and ambience.

Hamilton Building

* What, where: Denver Art Museum addition, south of East 13th Avenue between Broadway and Bannock Street

* Why look: The museum's expressive - and explosive - expansion designed by Daniel Libeskind has caused its share of controversy among national observers. And since it opened in October 2006 it has needed roof repairs and prompted some straightening of gallery walls to provide a more receptive home for art. But the soaring atrium and dramatic spaces still energize, while the building is sympathetic to the original museum building designed by Gio Ponti and James Sudler. This building defines the term "instant landmark."

Glasshouse

* What, where: residential tower, 17th and Bassett streets

* Why look: Once upon a time, the Central Platte Valley was the black hole of Denver, a junked-up railyard and community trash heap. No more. Considering the numerous sleek residential structures there by 4240 Architecture of Denver, the new MCA/Denver and the Millennium Bridge, the stunning 23-story Glasshouse by Atlanta-based Preston Partnership holds its own as one of the most prominent complexes in Denver. The upper floors are all about transparency - where do they hang art? - and airiness.

Pura Vida Fitness and Spa

* What, where: health club, 2955 E. First Ave.

* Why look:Talk about a better life. For years, this stodgy building fronting on East First Avenue was remarkable only for being the home of the Tattered Cover. A new regime removed various exterior walls and added glass panels that make this one of the sleekest structures in town. Thank the architecture firm Gensler for that; Semple Brown Design is responsible for the interior.

One Lincoln Park

* What, where: residential tower, 100 E. 20th Ave.

* Why look:This 30-story project injects life into a somewhat desolate part of town at an intersection that can be one big tangle. And if you're sitting in that intersection, you can see that designers Buchanan Yonushewski Group have placed this high-rise on a fairly pedestrian podium. Move away a few blocks and suddenly the high-rise takes its place on the skyline. The most memorable feature: its curved roofline, topping upper floors that are set back and more detailed than the lower level.

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5 SITES TO MISS: Several new buildings, public art pieces and a renovation miss the mark when it comes to being memorable.

1001 17th Street

* What, where: built as the Mountain States Bell Telephone Company, then Qwest headquarters, 1005 17th St.

* Why skip: This complex combination of a late Modern structure and plaza now is a thing of the past. The 1977 project by RNL Design gains rhythm from horizontal strips of glass and metal, but has now been de-plaza'd and appears truncated. In its place is a series of glass boxes housing new retail, a design by Barber Architecture that is neither fish nor fowl and that does not relate to or respect the original building.

Jonathan Borofsky's androgynous aliens

* What, where: aka The Dancers, Denver Performing Arts Complex

* Why skip: Yes, this piece of public art has its admirers. But for many of us it's still a jolt to drive by on Speer Boulevard and wonder what could have been installed there in what was a somewhat star-crossed project. Rumors abound about big public art pieces downtown being hauled to the Pepsi Center. They're not true, but if someone wants to remove The Dancers . . .

Cowboy Pajamas

* What, where: Sean O'Meallie's public art, 1725 Champa St.

* Why skip: Adding to the list of silly public art pieces (in this case privately funded), is the newly unleashed Cowboy Pajamas. Downtown is starting to look like a toy box. The Blue Bear has some heft, and even the children's blocks of All Together Now at the Curtis Hotel show some wit. O'Meallie's Cowboy, tucked in next to the new (and snoozy) Residence Inn Denver, is just out of place in a city aiming for sophistication.

The "tent"

* What, where: events tent, 15th and Welton streets

* Why skip: I can understand why developer Evan Makovsky doesn't want to flaunt an empty lot in front of thousands of visitors in town for the Democratic National Convention. But this droopy project erected for various events elevates the old Downtown Urban Design Element (remember the DUDE?) to the status of Notre Dame.

Petroleum Club

* What, where: commercial tower, 110 16th St. Mall

* Why skip: Architect Charles D. Strong's 1957 ode to Modernism has been neglected over the years, but now it's been ruined. A desire by the owners to give it a new life has led to several tragic actions: resurfacing the facade in a silvery gray, the addition of a red stripe down one of its formerly clean edges and the installation of a rooftop element that suggests the type of cornice no Modern building would have. The unfortunate face-lift comes courtesy of DTJ Design Inc. of Boulder and Denver.

• August 16, 2008

  9:51 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Houstongolfnut writes:

  The Hamilton building at the Denver Art Museum raised the bar on architectural crap down there. It looks like a railroad box car that was dropped from the sky and splattered the buildings that it hit.

• August 16, 2008

  11:43 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Chadley25 writes:

  Let's not forget the evil blue horse out at the airport. I still can't believe that thing got approved by anyone, let alone for the insane amounts of money Denver doled out for it. It's hideous, and it may well be the only piece of art that actually killed its creator.

• August 16, 2008

  2:25 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  LadyBird112 writes:

  Houston, Chad, and Amaranth:

  Yes, yes and yes.

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