International Style...
Seasons Greetings from Zeckendorf Plaza
Photos © 2011 Alan Golin Gass, FAIA
A seasonal late-60s-era holiday shot of Zeckendorf Plaza, with lights displayed under the hyperbolic-paraboloid roof and out in the plaza over the ice skating rink.
A famous “lost” I. M. Pei & Associates design, the plaza was built in 1959 and sadly torn
down in 1996.
December 23rd, 2011 / No Comments » / by Alan G. Gass
Mile High Center
Photos © 2011 Alan Golin Gass, FAIA
Today we have guest photographer Alan G. Gass (esteemed architect, historian and in my view, city hero) with some 1950s-era shots of I. M. Pei & Associates’ Mile High Center.
If you look closely at this first shot of the entranceway canopy on Broadway, you can see Mr. Gass himself in the reflection of the front door, taking this photo.
Many of the features shown in the photos, of this early important work of I. M. Pei, no longer exist, as many of the spaces were absorbed into the design of One United Bank Center (now Wells Fargo Center, the “Cash Register Building”).
In this shot you can see the canopy as it crosses through the fountains to connect to the restaurant and shops of the Transportation Building. Behind the plaza you can view some of the details of the remodeled bank building, which is the third building of Mile High Center design.
Viewing east toward the fountains, past the row of lights on the bank, this photo nicely depicts the interrelationship of all three buildings with the plaza.
And lastly, a shot of the concrete barrel-shaped roof of the Transportation Building. You can also see additional details of the bank building. This is the intersection of 17th and Lincoln, compare how different this looks today.
November 22nd, 2011 / 2 Comments » / by Alan G. Gass
Broadway & 17th
Broadway and 17th in downtown Denver, showing the contrasts of styles from different eras.
The sandstone Brown Palace from 1892, the International-style Mile High Tower from 1956,
and peeking over the top, the post-modern Wells Fargo Center skyscraper from 1984.
November 21st, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Broadway Plaza Motel postcard
A postcard of the International-style Broadway Plaza Hotel with a photo taken when it
was first completed in 1959. This building is still standing, of course!
Go here to see a 1959 ad featuring the same photo.
(Postcard borrowed from the Neat Stuff blog.)
October 25th, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Joshel House Meets The Eight-Foot House
If you are driving in Denver’s Hilltop neighborhood, you might have difficulty spotting this
beautiful International-style house through the landscaping.
It is the Joshel House, designed in 1951 by local architecture/design team, Joseph and Louise Marlow, with some interior elements by Victor Hornbein. This couple designed many great mid-century International-style houses in the Denver area. (You can locate these using the Historic Denver guidebook, The Mid-Century Modern House in Denver, by Michael Paglia and Diane Wray Tomasso.)
Despite its local and national landmark status, the Joshel House was in danger of becoming a mere memory after Suzanne Joshel passed away in 2009. The estate attorney felt the property had more value as a building site and worked to undo the protective measures her own client, Suzanne Joshel, had worked so diligently to put in place. Thankfully, Historic Denver refused to vacate its preservation easements and many preservation-minded buyers expressed interest in buying the home.
My wife, Shannon Stanbro of 5280mod.com, represented one set of those buyers and spent many hours trying to educate the attorney and neighbors about the importance of preserving Hilltop’s historic modern architecture. It seems fitting that her new listing, The Eight-Foot House,
is a 2011 International-style home influenced by the Marlows’ Joshel House design.
The Eight Foot House derives its name from a passive approach to sustainable design. Created and constructed by architect Bill Buyers, a no-waste approach embraced the use of 8-foot materials, including floor to ceiling doors and windows, while paying homage to the Marlows’ elegant historic design.
I just wanted to visually compare the front of the two houses, you can find a better read and complete set of photos of the Eight-Foot House here on Shannon’s site:
www.5280mod.com. And you can see interior shots of the original Joshel House here on Lesley’s MidModRedo site.
October 18th, 2011 / 1 Comment » / by Tom Lundin
Safeway rooflines
In 1959, Safeway Stores built their classic modern Marina Blvd. store with the arched
roofline over a glass wall. One of the more interesting variations was the roofline on this
storefront shown above, referred to as Marina with wings, which allowed for a larger
store model. They complimented this with stone facing.
In the 1960s Safeway buildings with variations on these two designs peppered the
Denver area, but this location in Wheatridge is the most intact.
September 30th, 2011 / 2 Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Horizontal
A long, low, horizontal home oriented to the spectacular view.
Another one of the earlier houses in Panorama Heights. (Probably late 1950s)
September 29th, 2011 / 1 Comment » / by Tom Lundin
Panorama Heights
The original show home for Panorama Heights, likely circa-1955.
September 28th, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Mile High Center model
Photos © 2011 Alan Golin Gass, FAIA
The original model for Denver’s first skyscraper, the Miesian-style
Mile High Center, completed by I. M. Pei & Associates in 1956.
In this model you can see the tapestry-like interplay of the white enamel
panels with the dark aluminum bands on the Mile High Tower. To the
left of the model is a four-story renovated bank and on the right is the
two-story, barrel-roofed Transportation Building.
September 25th, 2011 / 2 Comments » / by Alan G. Gass
Petroleum Club
The Meisian-style Petroleum Club Building designed by
Charles Strong in 1957. Charles Strong is famous locally
as the architect of the Art Deco Poet’s Row.
The historic building has seen some changes in recent history,
the sun screens and the red spear going up the side. Compare
to this 1957 Denver Post photo.
September 22nd, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Golden cantilevered mod
Incredible cantilevered modern house in Golden, with dual cylindrical flues!
(From the early 1960s, I presume)
July 21st, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Sigma-Nu
The rotunda shaped Sigma-Nu fraternity house in Golden, built 1966.
June 22nd, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Hawkins house
Ed Hawkins, the man responsible for Arapahoe Acres, built this house in 1957, after
returning from a visit to Japan. He lived in this residence for ten years.
The false balcony is a playful break from the honesty of his beautiful Usonian and
International style designs that permeate Arapahoe Acres.
June 16th, 2011 / 1 Comment » / by Tom Lundin
Court House Square render
Nice render of Court House Square, just a little mangled by the pagefolds of the
publication it came out in in 1959. Still no Hilton yet in this illustration. (Click to enlarge)
It is interesting to contrast the difference between this illustration and the true building in
the Alan Gass photo below. They did seem to get the hyperbolic paraboloid right, though.
This outstanding piece of engineering was the widest concrete shell in the country at 132
feet by 113 feet.
June 13th, 2011 / 1 Comment » / by Tom Lundin
Court House Square
Photo © 2011 Alan Golin Gass, FAIA
Looking at I. M. Pei & Associates’ Court House Square from Mile High Tower
(another I. M. Pei & Associates building). Photo taken 1959.
Construction fences still surround the site and the Hilton Hotel has not yet been completed.
You can see the May D & F building with it’s original aluminum panels, the hyperbolic
parabaloid and the skating rink.
The tall building to the right is the original Republic Building, designed 1927 by
G. Meredith Musick.
June 10th, 2011 / No Comments » / by Alan G. Gass
Hilton Hotel window
Photo © 2011 Alan Golin Gass, FAIA
Looking out of the Mo-Sai grillwork of the Hilton Hotel window at the hyperbolic
paraboloid and May D & F building of Court House Square.
Court House Square designed by I. M. Pei & Associates, completed 1960.
(Note from the editor: This is the first, of hopefully many photos to be posted on
the Denver Eye by esteemed architect and photographer, Alan G. Gass, FAIA)
June 6th, 2011 / 2 Comments » / by Alan G. Gass
Mead & Mount Construction
Mead & Mount Construction ad from 1959.
Top left: 1959 State Services Building
G. Meridith Musick and Temple Buell, Architects
Earl C. Morris and Roland L. Linder, Architects
Top right: 1958 First National Bank
Raymond Harry Ervin, Architect
Middle: 1936 Albany Hotel
Burnham Hoyt, Architect
Temple H. Buell, Architect
(The 1936 date was when it was reclad. The hotel was first built in 1885.
Sadly, it has been demolished)
Bottom right: 1954 Denver Club Building
Raymond Harry Ervin, Architect
June 2nd, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Doors Open Denver
Tom Lundin here for The Denver Eye… I want to thank you for voting for this photo
in the 2011 Doors Open Denver photo contest, sponsored by Mike’s Camera. I won
two awards, People’s Choice and overall Grand Prize!
This photo is looking out the Sheraton windows at their own reflection in the glass walls
across the street.
Again, thank you readers, thanks to the Doors Open Denver judges and thanks to the
folks at Mike’s Camera!
May 27th, 2011 / 1 Comment » / by Tom Lundin
Boulder International-style
An International-style house on ‘The Hill’ in Boulder, designed by Glen Huntington,
sometime in the 1930s, I presume.
May 26th, 2011 / 2 Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Morris house
And on the other side of 8th Ave near Cheesman Park, this 1961 Formalist house designed
1961 by Langdon Morris & Carl Groos.
(Architect names gleaned from the incredible guidebook The Mid-Century Modern
House in Denver by Michael Paglia and Diane Wray Tomasso.)
May 20th, 2011 / 1 Comment » / by Tom Lundin
Cavode House
1950 International-style house just outside of Cheesman Park. Designed by Joseph
and Louise Marlow.
I included this closeup to more clearly detail how the entranceway was designed to allow
the tree to pierce the roofline.
May 19th, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Arapaho Hills
Finally took a photo of this home in Littleton’s Arapaho Hills that I am happy with (click to enlarge). It was designed in late-1950s (probably 1957) by Mannon Associates. Arapaho Hills was a follow-up development to Englewood’s Arapahoe Acres.
The low horizontal profile is deceiving… if you look at the size of the front door, you realize that the wall on the left is taller than a person. The design is based on one of the two Reed Houses in Arapahoe Acres. (Look here)
May 5th, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Bye bye Big Top
Yesterday I drove by to take an updated photo of this building, one of the better
examples of the old ’50s-era Big Top/Automart stores designed by William Sayer.
Unfortunately it was gone.
You probably drive by one or two of these on a daily basis, they are each of a slightly
different design. One thing they all have in common is the hexagonal tent-like roof of
intersecting hyperbolic paraboloids made of 3 inch reinforced concrete.
It’s a shame, out of the dozen or so of these structures still standing, this one was my
favorite due to the checkered paint on the roof edge, the intact glass and the diamond
panels. (These photos were taken a year or two ago.)
Please comment if you know details about these old stores!
May 4th, 2011 / 4 Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Corner office of Red Cross Building
Looking at the main office in the corner of the Red Cross Building near Speer, designed
1951 by Edwin Francis. (Click photo to enlarge)
Taken at Doors Open Denver last weekend.
_________________
(Nice to see Governer Hickenlooper at Kulwicki benefit tonight at the Larimer Lounge!)
April 24th, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Art Deco home
Art Deco house designed by Charles Jaka in 1931.
Jaka also designed the Art Deco Cruise Room in The Oxford Hotel (1930).
April 20th, 2011 / 3 Comments » / by Tom Lundin
