Search Results for "pei"
The Matchless
The Matchless restaurant with it’s distinctive barrel-shaped roof, part
of I.M. Pei’s original Mile High Center.
While portions of the Mile High Center survive, the site of The Matchless
is now part of the Wells Fargo Center (One United Bank Center by Philip Johnson)
April 14th, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Webb & Knapp ad
1959 Webb & Knapp ad from the state centennial insert in the Denver Post.
All I.M. Pei related Denver developments. From the top, Mile High Center,
The Hilton Hotel and Zeckendorf Plaza.
March 23rd, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Denver Hilton
The fenestration of the Hilton Hotel, designed by Araldo A. Cossutta as part of I.M. Pei’s Courthouse Square 1960.
August 17th, 2010 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Curtain wall
One last curtain-wall building photo from downtown…
The famous Miesian Mile High Tower, part of the Mile High
Plaza designed 1956 by I.M. Pei and Henry Cobb. The plaza
is now incorporated into Philip Johnson’s Norwest Plaza.
July 27th, 2010 / 1 Comment » / by Tom Lundin
Denver monorail design
Otto Kuhler was one of the world’s most famous industrial designers, well known for his Streamline Modern locomotives from the 1930s.
In 1967 he illustrated plans for a monorail system for Denver that was never built.
In most places the monorail would be suspended above existing rail lines, though it is riding through downtown in this drawing. (That seems to be I.M. Pei’s Mile High Tower in the background, though the Brown Palace across the street, seems to have been left out.)
Kuhler seems to have retained much of his 1930s/40s Streamline design in these 1967 illustrations. (I believe that is supposed to be Cherry Creek in the drawing above)
July 18th, 2010 / 2 Comments » / by Tom Lundin
N.C.A.R.
A short visit to I.M. Pei’s mid-1960s masterpeice, the National Center For
Atmospheric Research in Boulder.
June 30th, 2010 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Jay Wieder Orchestra
This 1976 big band lp by the Jay Weider Orchestra gives us an opportunity to view
the historic Denver skyline. (You can click these photos to enlarge)
Here you can see some of the contributions of architects I.M. Pei, James Sudler (who co-designed the Denver Art Museum with Gio Ponti), Charles Strong (designer of Denver’s Art Deco Poet’s Row), Raymond Harry Ervin (note the original “W” on the Western Federal building) and Minoru Yamasaki (designer of NY’s World Trade Center twin towers).
Across the street from the Denver Public Library, you can see the construction site for the Colorado Judicial Building and the Colorado History Building, both currently being torn down.
Jay Wieder was a famous local orchestra leader who often played at the Trocadero Ballroom (Elitch Gardens) and the El Patio Ballroom (Lakeside Amusement Park). Wieder and his orchestra portrayed the Glenn Miller Orchestra in the 1953 film The Glenn Miller Story.
June 8th, 2010 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Denver nightlife 1959
The Matchless restaurant and lounge, under the hyperbolic arch in the pavilion which was originally part of I.M. Pei’s Mile High Center. You have to love that it included a trout pool and a fountain!
The arch and restaurant are gone now, swallowed up by Norwest Plaza.
Pei’s Mile High Tower still peaks out of the plaza.
The Senate Lounge, across the street from the Capitol building, in the Argonaut Hotel. Is the cartoon a depiction of a typical 1959 state senator? The Argonaut still stands!
Senate Lounge act, Effie the Blond Tigress, backed by Denver Cool Jazz greats Bud Poindexter, Vince Limberg and Paul Warburton. I don’t know who the cat on vibes is in the upper pic!
It’s zero hour for the 1959 opening of Elitch’s Gardens. This is, of course, the original location of the amusement park. Elitch’s Theatre still stands at this old location.
Top of the Park room in the Park Lane Hotel, at the north end of Washington Park, “Denver’s Smartest Rendezvous”.
There are four apartment buildings in that spot now, and I don’t think they look like this, so I assume this building is gone.
Top of The Park engagement for cocktail-comedian/pianist Nino Nanni
The King Cole Showbar, a strip club located where Club Vinyl is today. There used to be some ghost-signage on the side of the building with the words King Cole and an arrow pointing down, but much of the original building collapsed under heavy snow, maybe 8 years ago. Bob and Sylvia released a fun Hee Haw styled comedy lp a few years later.
The Melody Lounge, “Denver’s Birdland”. These are all top-talent jazz
stars for 1959.
I am not sure, but I think this is where the Alpine Hotel is now.
Johnny Griffin at the Melody Lounge! “The Little Giant” was well-known in jazz circles for the breakneck speed at which he played!
Vaudeville revival at the Beacon Supper Club. Even the cashier sang!
“Denver has gone Lakeside“. This ad list the Sunday night stock car races and the indoor swimming pool.
Warren St. Thomas’ famous strip club, The Tropics! You got dinner, a comedian, a stripper and an indoor tropical storm! This is now the nightclub, Stone. Last time I checked, the hydraulics to raise and lower dancers from the floor and ceiling were still there!
Tura Satana is a well-known cult film star for her role in the 1966 Russ Meyer film Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
By the way, if you have additional information on The Tropics, or photos or other memorabilia, I would love to see it! Please email me! (http://www.modmidmod.com/about/)
March 1st, 2010 / 1 Comment » / by Tom Lundin
Astronauts in Boulder
My copy of this 1964 AOK – Astronauts Orbit Kampus LP has a bit of cover wear, but despite considerable time spent, I cannot quite line up where on Flagstaff Mt. this picture was taken.
It would seem that the street on the right is Aurora Ave, but I cannot be sure, maybe it is College Ave. You can see that the foothills up right against the mountains have yet to be filled in with Charles Haertling’s masterpeice designs, though you can spot some new mod houses in the lower right.
The mighty Astronauts ruled over the front range in the years 1963-65.
February 19th, 2010 / 2 Comments » / by Tom Lundin
