Project Description
Just two blocks north of Denver’s revitalized Union Station and two blocks west of Coors Field, this city block consisted of three historic buildings amid approximately three-quarters of a block of surface parking before its redevelopment. The formerly-industrial city block was surrounded by a Lower Downtown (LoDo) neighborhood that had become flush with upscale, street-level retail and restaurant spaces with residential or office space above. In order to bring this block into modern commerce, while protecting its unique history, the SA+R team carefully crafted an urban infill plan that reused the site’s three historic building and added two modern office buildings. The district’s residential requirement is met by way of a new, 8-story, freestanding 172-room hotel designed by partner Johnson Nathan Strohe. Each of the component buildings within the block features facades with unique materials and detailing, creating a rhythm of contemporary brick, glass and metal complementing the historic structures. Further, each of the contemporary, luxury office buildings is broken down visually with two different exterior treatments highlighting their individual identity within the site. Generous glass fenestration and access to outdoor terraces offering views of Coors Field and the lively activities of the LoDo neighborhood, making the office spaces eminently leasable. Our design team also chose to take advantage of the client-owned, “vacated” alleys within the block, creating a new urban alley model for Denver, which offers prime restaurant and retail store frontage on the inside paths of the block. An excavated, three-level 150,000 square-foot below grade parking structure serves the entire block, accommodating 140 vehicles.