report card

a bow tie pool, a 72 foot tall tower, and a bridge over broadway. is this the stage for architectural wonder? the people of denver at the design forum left divided by libeskind's proposal for the redevelopment of denver's civic center park. according to polls, the public standings so far are 53% dislike, and 47% approve.
the issue that struck the author as the most beguiling was the idea for a pedestrian bridge over the street/park itself. this is a glaring unresolved design issue, since the current situation at street level is not so congested, and-the best cities in the world engage the street including a diversity of both peds and cars.
the hype.
the anticipation.
the image.
[scroll down for the slideshow]
the aftermath

libeskind and learning from chicago

rocky mountain news on using chicago as precedent to contemplate the future of civic center park. the long overdue lecture by DAMiel libeskind will take the stage at the colorado convention center this wednesday at 5:30pm.
also-the grand opening for libeskind's new building has been bumped up to october 7-8. this coincides with the innaugural exhibitioin HOT DAM: art at all hours, allowing the public through the doors beginning at 10am on saturday and ending 9am on sunday [it's free so you have no excuse to stay at home and watch seinfeld re-runs]. if you've got the dough, you can obtain a VIP tour a week early.

nyc visit

since we are searching for a replacement to the waterlogged camera that remains a casualty of the ghost lab, here are some random pics from nyc.

holl in iowa

a link to the flickr photoset by matt niebuhr, highlighting the recently completed university of iowa art and art history building by steven holl architects. some damn fine images, but remember kids-this is what happens when you use corten steel everywhere...

freitag high rise

from the flickr account of the same name-freitag, the makers of hip urban bagwear by means of truck tarpaulins, bike tires, and old car seatbelt straps have a new shop in zurich. made entirely from recycled steel shipping containers, the photos document the process of re-fabrication to fit the retail program needs.
1_steel slaughter
2_pile up
3_stock in

randy brown design/build

another design/build internship similar to the program by dan rockhill [studio 804], run by fellow k-state graduate randy brown. archinect's student blog page gives us the inside scoop of how the project turned out.
on a side note-we found this while snooping around his website. a development near omaha called hidden creek is endorsing new modern "eco-homes" where you can "sit in your living room and watch the deer, but still be two minutes away from supertarget." amenities include natural prairie tall-grass yards, green roofs, radiant floor heating finished with bamboo, and optional solar panels for electricity.

construction continues

denver civic center

the rocky mountain news couldn't wait for daniel libeskind to visit denver again to elaborate on his proposal for the civic center park. soooo-they asked 5 of denver's local architects to contribute sketches of their ideas for public comment. the list of architects are:

William Wenk: founder/principal of Wenk Associates
Yong Cho, co-founder/principal of Studio Completiva Inc.
Steve Chucovich, founder/principal ArchitectureDenver
Susan Saarinen, principal, Saarinen Landscape Architecture
Richard Farley, architect and planner, principal with Civitas Inc.

most of the plans propose a similar solution regarding the surrounding streets: bury them. this would allow for a more pedestrian friendly interface between the city & the park, which in the author's opinion, it severely needs. civic center park has always been perceived [whether founded or not] as a focal point for criminal activites and lacks recreational activities that makes other parks successful. large green spaces in the middle of downtown require an immense amount of planning to have curb appeal & sustain activity. in denver's case, it seems to be a matter of updating a 19th century park to fit today's cultural outlook.

view the designs, and vote for your favorite.

highland bridge installation

from the CDOT website:

Lane Closures

I-25 between I-70 and Speer Blvd. - (Pedestrian bridge installation) The following closures will take place this weekend. Alternate routes are strongly advised. Detours will be posted.

Friday, August 4th

All lanes of southbound I-25 will be closed between I-70 and Speer Boulevard from 11 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Motorists will be detoured onto westbound I-70 to Federal Boulevard where they will go south on Federal Boulevard to Speer Boulevard.

Two lanes of northbound I-25 between Speer Boulevard and I-70 will be closed from 11 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Alternate routes are strongly advised.

Saturday, August 5th

All lanes of northbound I-25 will be closed between Speer Boulevard and I-70 from 11 p.m. to 8 a.m. Motorists will be detoured onto westbound Speer Boulevard to Federal Boulevard where they will go north to eastbound I-70.
All lanes of southbound I-25 will be closed between I-70 and Speer Boulevard from 11 p.m. to 9 a.m. Motorists will be detoured onto westbound I-70 to Federal Boulevard where they will go south on Federal Boulevard to Speer Boulevard

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neighborhood flix

previous post. a new independent film venue located on east colfax, near city park and east high school is opening soon. neighborhood flix replaced the previously slated tenant [denver film society] when money and committment to the project fell short. the tattered cover bookstore is open & thriving, and the parking garage that serves both stores is free. i've also received word that both twist'n'shout stores [vinyl & digital] will be opening in the new space in october. photo courtesy of lconnard.

philosophy from harry lime

"in italy, for thirty years under the borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder, bloodshed — they produced michelangelo, leonardo da vinci and the renaissance. in switzerland, they had brotherly love, five hundred years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce?

the cuckoo clock."

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