In my post from earlier this morning about Speer Boulevard, I included a photo of a model of the proposed Bell Tower that I snagged from the Rocky Mountain News website. Thanks again to Matt and the rest of the folks at Fentress Architects, I’m happy to post not only a high-resolution version of that image, but also a nice high-resolution shot from a different angle.
Credit on both images to Jason Knowles, Fentress Architects.
These two photos are the best yet at clearly showing the design of this project. I like it a lot.
I was on the fence seeing the earlier drawings, but seeing these models I can honestly say that I am totally on board with this design! I still don't like the uber-expensive, one-residence-per-floor-approach. However, if this does get built and if it does get built like this then it will be an awesome addition to the Denver skyline.
If 1401 Lawrence had the excitement of this design maybe alot more people would have purchased units. This building is looking great and Fentress is again proving themselves to be one of the best architectural firms in Denver.
I'm not sure how they jumped from that rendering to this model, but whatever drugs it took keep those guys on it. I realize I was one of the earlier naysayers, but I actually do like the model. Though it would be nice if they could extend out the first few floors to fill up the whole green space.
Me too. That's a good looking building. Still not sure this is the best location for it, but I'm starting to come around. And I'm really not sure that the market is there for a project like this, but obviously that's not my problem. If he can sell them, more power to him. Also, I would rather see the shorter building on the Larimer side of the site, but perhaps there is a rationale for that I'm not getting.
What are they doing about parking? Don't see any provision for a garage.
Who designed this, he Doozers from Fraggle Rock???
The more I see of it, the more I like it.
This is sweet. Build IT BUZZ!!!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS BUILDING!! Build it now damn it!
Beautiful Building. But, is it really green?
I'm in-between really liking this building and absolutly loving this building. My only hesitation is the deconstructivist mish mash with the balconies. A little would provide a great contrast to the clean, modern lines of the building, too much takes away from it.
And I like the office/retail building across Cherry Creek. I don't find it to be the faux neo-classical, "forced post-modernism, historicism with no history" that Mary Voelz Chandler finds it to be. To me its an obvious nod to the old City Hall building and I dig it. Jeeze, I thought I was pretentious.
I love how everyone is changing their minds now….funny. Anyway…Cheers all around to Fentress and Buzz for pushing the envelope.
Also anonymous…I think the strayed away from the Larimer side to encourage more people to use the open space. Judging from the model…they are also going to use that area for the new gondola business thats located there now. As far as parking I have no idea…I imagine it would have to be below ground…they might have difficulty selling million dollar lofts with no parking..ha ha
"As far as parking I have no idea…I imagine it would have to be below ground"
Yeah, I thought that too, but I don't see any garage entrance on the tower, and that's a very small footprint to squeeze a garage in, considering it will need 70-100 spaces. In the one model it looks like the back of the little building is a garage, but they better not expect quarterbacks and starting pitchers to park their car over there then walk across the river to get home, because that won't fly.
It will never be built. Its Denver!
No mind change here. This doesn't belong at Speer and Larimer. Interesting design or not. I'm not opposed to something new across from Larimer and am not bent out of shape like some of the presevationists were.
Auraria and the city have been talking for years about better connectivity between the campus and Larimer. And so the answer is million dollar condo and faux historic office building, both set far back from Larimer??? Platte Valley, Golden Triangle, 20th Street, heck even the Great Gulf lot, but not this corner that has much better potential than this.
Let's get 'er done.
Anon at 8:36…yeah i was looking at the second build too…you're right that definitely wouldn't work with those types of tenants. The foot print does pose a problem too.
I was looking at the first picture and it looks like there could be an entrance off of walnut just before the creek?
Regardless of all that this is going to be an amazing first impression of the city when driving in on Auraria or Speer!
I understand the theory that downtown city blocks should all have lively, visible, engaging active uses for every linear foot of frontage. Look at how many buildings don't fit this ideal. A park may prove to be an attractive use. It certainly is a way to allow some more downtown space to have a relationship to Cherry Creek.
Not a wicked witch at all.
Anon 8:48, you're pitiful mantra of "It will never be built! It's Denver!" is just idiotic. Look at Spire, Four Seasons, One Lincoln Park and 1800 Larimer. Many of us thought those projects would never make it out of the ground…but they have. So just let it go already and go read some other downtown city blog.
Something like one being built in Dubai???
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/WORLD/meast/06/25/duibai.tower/art.dubai.ap.jpg
Great! We have several tall buildings going up downtown, but none of them look this exciting! Build it!!!
See how everyone againts it quickly change after more renditions and pic come out. Oh how quickly persuasion strikes. I love this building… Cos in Denver
Good GOD, what are all you people smoking?!?!? Is the architectural standard so low in Denver that ANYTHING that isn't a stucco box qualify as AMAZING design?!?! This latest scheme just proves that very few people in this town could even find the word design in a dictionary with a map and a flashlight. This horrid example of Fentress style is so pitifully lacking a concept that it amounts to a poorly stacked pastrami sandwich. The preciousness and high profile nature of this location should call for something far more elegant, well conceived, and progressive. Where is Santiago Calatrava when we need him?
BTW, the man responsible for the atrocity that is One Lincoln Park is the man responsible for this atrocity (no, not Curt Fentress, he hasn't designed a building since the 1980s). This design is nothing short of garbage. The sad reality is that it will most likely get built because of the sorry state of design in Denver and the even sorrier state of taste among the uber rich who can actually afford to buy one of these units.
I believe its the Bell Tower view plane that prevents any meaningful development from happening along the Larimer St. side of this parcel. I'm guessing that the park is way better that what could actually get built there, if anything at all.
Most of Calatrava's work is sh**. Especially the giant 2000' dildo being built in Chicago and that joke of a building in Milwaukee.
Anon at 4:51…you're right…I did some digging and you are 100% correct.
hmmm…Dubai, isn't that the future financial center of the solar system?
Hmmm, view planes, really? hypathetical concept don't you think. I doubt many people will actually practice them.
To anon 12:18, the view plane issue is quite real and practiced with great fervor. To anon 5:26 & 3:41, one man's sh** is another man's fertilizer. Distinctive buildings will always serve as a lightning rod for criticism, no matter how crass or ill-presented. I think this work is developing nicely. Keep up the good work.
Memory is short. The view plane that everyone is so perplexed by is mandated by city ordinance. That's the whole reason Geller had to put the buildings where he did. The model is better than the rendering, but I will never like the short fake-historical building across the creek from the tower. Mary Voelz Chandler is absolutely right about its design (she's usually right about these things architectural). People who think that those of us who don't like fake-history are being elitist are no different from the Bud-drinking idiots who think people who like good coffee are elitist and therefore "not like us." Read Susan Jacoby's new book The Age of American Unreason, and get over your fear of what you call elitism!
This would be sad to see built. If it has to be on Speer move it a block or two north(of course Geller, probably doesn't own that land, but you get the point). Larimer to Auraria should be a 10 story max connection. This has nothing to do with preservation it's just a more realistic scale for what is already there and likely to be there if the campus is ever able to realize any of their master plan. If this does get built, dump the high end fake historic schtick along 14th and just make something modern. A firm as "prestigous" as this one is believed to be by some of the people here should be embarrased by that gesture.
Was pretty disappointed, but got to admit this building looks better than expected in the model. The place for this building, though, is behind the Pavilions. I still think a tall, more traditionally shaped building such as that we find in say the NYC Chrysler Building would be more befitting this location. Perhaps a land swap could be effected between the owners of the land behind the Pavilions and this guy. This building behind the D-Pav would be amazing and you'd be an elevator ride from shopping.
Finally, I've got to stick up for Santiago Calatrava and the Chicago Spire. Call it what you will, but the building at night will be an icon to ingenuity forever. It's a stunning design, simply brilliant. We should be so lucky to have an iconic supertall building of any kind let alone one like this.
Mentioning Art Deco towers like the Chrysler Building here Anon 9:55 is like lightning a match in a weapons factory. Dangerous thing. I'd love to see more art deco, it's my favorite style, but people are bound to label it as "historical fakery" or whatnot, and then whine about how the building should be a cube superimposed over an inverted triangle with random balconies. Then they'll complain people are calling them elitists.
I like this rendering better than the previous renderings.
Still, I wish there were some kind of consistent pattern to the design. I like the tower's tilt and the unusual angles, but I don't like how every floor is a mismach of the preceeding and succeeding floors. If all the balconies came out to the same height, or were located in a row, most of the bad aspects of this design would be eliminated.
>I'd love to see more art deco, it's my favorite style, but people are bound to label it as "historical fakery" or whatnot
Historical fakery… you mean like fake warehouses? Isn't that 90% of what's been built in Denver in the past decade?
Personally I don't have any problem with historicism, as long as it's well done (which is the real trick)… I'm just commenting that the prevailing style in Denver today *IS* historicism, and everybody seems to love it.
The design is remarkable and I believe it can be an iconic part of the skyline for years and years. The problem I have with it is the price per unit. The Rocky Mountain News has a piece from 7/27/08 that says units will be sold from $7.5 million to $25 million. Anyone else think there is a market in this town for a building like this? The Four Season's $10 million deal was an inside job and we're talking about STARTING at that level. How many of those $5 million units have been sold at the Ritz or Four Seasons? I love the building, but "Buzz" might be crazy.