One of the cool things I like about the design of Urban Villages’ new SugarCube building on Block 019 in Denver’s Lower Downtown district is that four residential balconies, one on each corner of the building, extend beyond the face of the adjacent building side. It’s a small thing, but something that gives the building an extra bit of flair in a Downtown generally not known for its architectural adventurousness. The extended balconies were what caught my attention when I first viewed the design rendering presented by noted architect Bruce Kuwabara, principal of Toronto-based KPMB Architects, at a Lower Downtown Design Review Board meeting on March 2, 2006:

The SugarCube building is far enough along now to be able to see those extended balconies taking shape. Here are a couple of photos from this week:

SugarCube should be finished this summer. Its presence will really help with the continuity of the pedestrian experience along the 16th Street Mall.