Denver: The Latest Architecture and News

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Studio Gang, led by Jeanne Gang, has revealed its design for the Colorado 150 Pedestrian Walkway, a new civic infrastructure project commissioned by Governor Polis and the America 150-250 Commission. Spanning 11,000 square feet, the walkway is conceived as both a connective urban thread and a commemorative landscape, marking the 150th anniversary of Colorado's statehood. Strategically sited in downtown Denver, the intervention links key public spaces and monuments, enhancing pedestrian accessibility while fostering a layered experience of art, culture, and history. Set to be completed by July 2026, various features, such as viewing platforms, monuments, new public artworks by Colorado-based artists, play areas, and interpretive elements, aim to invite users to explore, gather, and reflect along the route.

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The Architectural League of New York has announced the winners of its 44th cycle of the Architectural League Prize for Young Architects + Designers. Each year, the competition centers around a theme developed by a committee of past winners. This year's theme, Plot, invited participants to explore the role of plot in architecture, whether understood as land, drawing, or scheme, and consider how these frameworks shape design narratives and processes. Established in 1981, the annual competition recognizes early-career architects and designers in North America.

This year's programming follows a hybrid model. A virtual lecture series will launch on June 11 and feature presentations by the winners alongside moderated discussions. Installations by the winners will be presented either onsite or in digital formats and showcased in an online exhibition.

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Denver-based architecture office Tres Birds announced that Denver’s tallest mass timber building is planned to break ground in July 2023. The 12-story building named “Return to Form” will be located in the River North Arts District in Denver, US. Its structural system uses mass timber, a new technology that utilizes small-diameter trees from sustainably managed forests. Through continuous planting and responsible harvesting, these forests are becoming a source of renewable and low-impact building materials. The mass timber structure is comprised of wood panels that are glued and laminated together. This provides not only strength and stability but also fire resistance.

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To celebrate Earth Day, real estate developers Urban Villages and Studio Gang have unveiled and broken ground on "Populus", the first carbon positive hotel in the United States. Set to open in late 2023, the 265-room hotel in Denver features a rooftop restaurant and bar, designed as a significant milestone for the future of sustainable travel that meets the needs of travelers, the community, and the environment.

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MAD Architects has broken ground on One River North, a sixteen-storey residential tower which features a descending nature trail carved into its façade. The project is set to "blur the lines between the built and natural environments" with more than 13,000 sq. ft. of open-air spaces, a water feature, and trail-like walkways, echoing Colorado's rich terrains. The project is expected to be complete towards the end of 2023.

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Rapt Studio has recently completed the new headquarters for VF Corporation in Denver, Colorado. With a mission to power active and sustainable lifestyles for the betterment of people and the planet, VF is a diverse collection of global brands. Their new ten-story headquarters brings together several of those brands under one roof, and at the same time, allows each of them to maintain individuality and expression.

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Studio Gang and Denver-based real estate firm Urban Villages have revealed a new mixed-use, 13-story hotel in Denver, Colorado. The 145,000-sf building is called ‘Populus’ and will be located next to Civic Center Park. Opening to the city and the Rocky Mountains beyond, the hotel aims to become a new social center in downtown. On it's prominent corner site, the building was made to connect Denver’s civic, arts, and commercial districts.

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