Margaret Jackson at the Denver Post recently reported on a planned redo of parts of Writer Square on Block 069. Here’s a link to the article.
The plan calls for the construction of a glass pyramid at 16th and Lawrence that will serve as an entrance, Louvre-style, to a retail or restaurant space below. The plan also includes a moat (!) and a general decluttering of the pedestrian areas of their planters, furniture, and sculptures. The article also included a rendering of the proposed pyramid structure:
First, I must say that this rendering is pretty lame. I certainly couldn’t do any better myself–in fact, not even this good, as artistic renderings are not in my realm of skills–but if I were making public my grand plans for a prominent Downtown Denver space, I’d come up with something better than this. The “pyramid” looks like light beams being cast down from a street lamp.
Nevertheless, it isn’t about the quality of the rendering, it’s about the proposed plan, so let’s talk about that. I’ve always been a bit conflicted over how I feel about Writer Square. On one hand, I find the diagonal cut through the block to be a rather pleasant place. It’s exactly the planters and their overflowing flowers, the sculptures, and the pedestrian furniture to be what I enjoy most about Writer Square. Granted, the sculptures are hardly cutting-edge art, and the whole space has a quaintness to it that seems a bit odd for its urban location, but somehow it still seems to generally work. On the other hand, Writer Square’s edges along Larimer, 15th, and Lawrence are definitely much less successful, and even the interior passage has never been the vibrant, people-gathering place I think most people have hoped it would be.
So, having said all of that, I am initially not opposed to the idea that Writer Square could use some updating. If nothing else, the physical site improvements and storefronts are pushing 30 years old, so some rehabilitation work is necessary, and the willingness of a property owner to make a significant investment in their property is always a positive sign. However, is this the right fix for this site?
Let’s start with the moat. A moat, by definition, is a physical element meant to serve as a barrier. Pedestrian barriers are the last thing we need more of in Downtown Denver. I have a hard time envisioning how a moat in a highly pedestrianized area is going to be a good thing. If the moat is narrow enough to not be a barrier (i.e. you could step over it), then it seems like it will only be a pedestrian hazard. If it’s too wide to cross except for where there are “bridges,” then for six months of the year, the moat will end up being a dry, litter collector. I may be convinced otherwise if I see a detailed plan of how this moat would work, but at the moment, I think the moat is a bad idea.
The pyramid, however, could have some potential. If it is scaled and sited correctly, made of high quality materials, and expertly designed with an attention to detail, it could be a striking addition to the interface between the 16th Street Mall and Writer Square that serves as a landmark and gathering place for that part of Downtown. Or, if not well done, it could look like some cheap bus-shelter/greenhouse concoction that, in a few years, people will be demanding its removal. I fear for the latter.
I say keep the flower pots, lamps, and seating in the interior of the block while making some improvements to the plaza’s deteriorating hardscape surface, storefronts, and the quality and diversity of the public art, and focus the investments on improving the edges. Perhaps there’s a way to go vertical with some higher density development along the Lawrence and 15th Street sides or to reconfigure the storefronts along those streets to make them more viable. I’m not opposed to doing something to improve Writer Square, but replacing its most charming pedestrian features with a pyramid and a moat seems to me to be the wrong solution to the wrong problem.
I agree with your notions about the proposed pyramid. While I don't expect the entrance to the Lourve, I think it would be all too easy for something plain, forgettable, and regretted to be built there. Of course, anything too ambitious would be just complained about to the Lower Downtown Design Review Board anyway.
Wow! They could make the glass protrusion an Apple Store like the NY one.
Link.
http://www.applemacpunk.com/C885273884/E20060821175444/index.html
It's just the first thing I thought of upon seeing this. Probably not enough of a market though.
-E
I don't know Ken. I think you're being too hard on them. Without seeing the plans, its impossible to know if this is a good idea or not. Gotta know what they have cooking before you judge, and it's hard to get a sense from the Denver Post article.
More info needed.
I believe the problem lies in that the square is too small for anything really impressive looking. So any pyramid… or a moat… is going to look gimmicky.
Maybe just clearing the space there would be better.
Very well said. This plan sounds like a lot of smoke and mirrors based on questionable fundamentals. There are better ways to for the owner to spend their improvement dollars. Nice commentary.
I have all the same fears…I've always liked the feel of Writer's Square, even though it is a little on the "quaint" side. I worry this would remove all the charm from the place and replace it with something that doesn't integrate well with the city.
Its not even three dimensional!
Seems a little Gimmicky. I definately agree, the whole area feels cluttered in an un-eclectic way. If I were them I'd consider the kind of people that are going to be moving into 14th Street and try to prepare to cater to them. Instead they would rather cater to a new generation of skaters that will eventually hang out their when it goes derelict in 10 years.
I agree w/ Ken. The moat and pyramid *could* work, but they could also be very bad if poorly carried out. We'll see.
One way the moat could work very well is if it's extremely shallow. The less-than-an-inch-deep water features in Millenium Park and at the National Portrait Gallery are great pedestrian amenities.
One thing Ken didn't mention is the prospect of underground retail. I hope it is just one retail space rather than several. While a think a single underground store or restaurant with a prominent sign could be neat, the novelty value of underground malls wears off quickly wherever they are built, and pushing sidewalk activity down below is the last thing we want to do.
Oh! Also I want to advocate once more for using Writer's Square as a downtown farmer's market.
With a fear of being too normal, why not just upgrade the broken concrete and renovate the space with new materials (stone?), a different layout, and an envigorated theme for the space.
Inviting people off the mall is key – so instead of a pyramid, maybe a giant tractor-beam? Ok, maybe not, but seems like pulling people into the project is needed – will a glass pyramid really do that? Guess we will see.
My problem with the pyramid is precisely the fact that we'd be copying a landmark from another city. I know some people around here like to refer to Denver as Paris on the Platte, but that's taking it a bit literally don't you think?
I do agree that something dynamic there would be excellent if done right. I'm just not sure that a pyramid is that thing. Besides, isn't there a parking garage below Writer's Square that would preclude a below-ground space?
Triple the size of the pyramid, drop the moat and plunk it down on the RTD site. Outstanding!
A pyramid in Writer's Square, for me, would equate to that awful Elitch's tower.
It seems to me that the 16th and Larimer portion of Writer's Square is a case of "If it ain't broke…" Should something be done to lure people into the businesses in the corridor area between 16th/Lawrence and 15th/Larimer? Yes! Maybe some signage or lighting or something.
If anything a big pyramid would sort of "block" access to that corridor. That space has, or could really have a romantic meandering feel to it. I like the Apple store idea but I'm leery of creating more retail space (especially underground) when we can't fill the space we already have. I had hoped that whatever ends up taking over that 15th and Larimer parking lot continues that cozy "inner lane" feel of the square. How about some kind of London-esque arcade?
Plus, let's find a space somewhere to bring back a real grand I.M. Pei-style pyramid like we lost at the old May D&F site.
pyramid aside…the problem is with writer square in general. it simply does not fit in the city.
it's design (from the '70s when DURA was destorying much of old downtown) turns its back to the city as a 'retreat' from the urban experience. this premise drove the design and IS the problem – though it's great that it's mixed use.
the best thing they could do is reorient the stores TOWARD the sidewalks (as ken said) and add on to the structure so that it reaches and HOLDS the corners at 16/lawrence and 15/larimer.
there is open space two blocks away – i just dont see any other way to make an anti-urban development become urban.
Of all the late '70s/early '80s developments along Larimer, WS was the only one that actually came off rather well. (Of course, when the competition is Larimer Place, the Barclay and the Windsor, it's hard to lose….)
Admittedly, architects could have done a better job linking the open spaces that now exist along 16th and 15th streets, but the biggest problem WS faces right now is the same dilemma facing all of the retail developments downtown: the lack of compelling retail. I, for one, hope the owners don't eliminate all of the planters and seating areas that now exist. WS is really one of the few places downtown that invite pedestrians to sit, have lunch and just enjoy the city. Maybe they should bring back Häagen-Dazs.
I was just thinking the other day that the area is way too pedestrian friendly. If we put out a few plaster sphinx around the glass pyramid (think mini vegas), it would put us on league with other great cities. A moat would be cool, it could collect change that I could pick up on my way home, and allow the homeless to clean themselves. Trees, flowers, places to sit out and eat lunch and discuss politics and life, etc. ummm so like 70's urban planning.
It is my understanding that the new owners plan to convert the underground garage into the retail space… Wouldn't that be a great location for a Farmer's Marker, Bog-Box Retail, or even Grocer?
– ME
Ugh, POOR rendering. Hard to get anyone excited about the concept with that.
Ken I'm with you, I like the "alley" feel it has, and as someone who spent a lot of nights at Red Square, I like how it is tucked back there. Instead of some ultra-modern conversion, I think it would be nice if it were redone as an extension of Larimer square, with similar style and characteristics.
Hmmm…I don't see any benches. The pyramid looks too small for any real kind of store, and where would this moat go anyway?
I agree with other sentiments above that this is gimmicky. Based on that sketchy rendering, I don't see an elegant design solution to 'the problem'.
All they need to do is fix up what they've got. This is a great place to sit in the evening with a latte and watch the circus parade on the mall. The pyramid is a bad idea and the moat even worse. I would agree with the idea someone posted that the problem with retail is the type of retail. Not trying to lure people into it.
This thing is a bad idea.
Bob Hayes
ROFLWAFFLE!
Pshhh, I don't think any city can beat Denver's ambition ;D
Seriously, they should just leave it alone.
Off topic: IM Pei's May D&F block was bad. Even though the little sqare facing 16th did become a gathering spot, with an ice rink, it still looked horrible. Even worse now is the "Plaza" annex of the Hilton (Now Sheraton). No more than half of that block should've been developed into that sterile so-called "elegant black box". The half that faces 16th street should've been preserved as a public square (without Pie's pyramid) IMO. What a waste.
As long as we're off topic, no, I.M. Pei's May-D&F design was magnificent. It was the pride of Denver for decades after it opened. And it was important not only for its connection to Pei but also for its connection to William Zeckendorf, one of the most interesting developers of the 20th century (he was instrumental in getting the United Nations built on the east side of Manhattan, among other things). May Company in its later years was ruled by bean counters who let the structure of the hyperbolic paraboloid deteriorate beyond repair. Had Fred Kummer, the non-visionary owner of the now-defunct Adam's Mark chain, done the right thing by Denver and preserved and renovated the paraboloid (perhaps as a nightclub, as originally planned), that part of Sixteenth would still have a marvelous piece of 1950s classic Modernism instead of the hideous granite and glass mess that Kummer built (although at least it's not stucco like the Pavilions across the street). I hope the Sheraton, as part of its renovation, tears down the entire Kummer structure and starts over, although judging by the signs in the windows that say "Your Restaurant Here," it's likely to stay.
And since Margaret Jackson's article mentioned the McDonald's "renovation," I have to say that it too would have been better off as a "real" renovation that would have preserved the lively, quirky zig-zag roof of the old Colorado Federal Savings building (that's what it was pre-McD's), and merely opened it up with more plate glass at street level. What they've done instead is turn it into a giant two-story version of a suburban McDonald's, complete with fake stone that will fall off in years to come as the adhesive wears out. All it lacks is a drive-through. No one in Denver likes classic Modernism, it would seem. To see pictures, go to livedowntowndenverblog, or whatever it's called (I think Ken has a link to it).
As for this Writer Square idea: when I hear the term "European-style plaza," I think of portable furniture that allows maximum versatility, along with intensive and diverse uses. What they have now are planters that can't be moved, thereby limiting the space. For special events most of the furniture can be taken out; on a daily basis, most people like to be able to group chairs and tables together (read William H. Whyte). I'm not for or against this plan until we get something better than the "streetlight" rendering, but I say let's stay optimistic about the developer's intentions.
What Writer Square really needs is to get rid of the clock tower that blocks the view in the middle of the mid-block corridor. Coming from 16th you can't tell that the corridor leads to Larimer Square because the clock tower is just too big (it's actually ventilation for the parking below, I think), and vice versa coming from Larimer Square toward Tabor Center. Get rid of that, put in something in the old China Terrace space that people find compelling, and you can increase the pedestrian traffic through there tremendously.
Where do the residents park if they get rid of the parking garage below?
Writer Square is like Vail–well-built, wonderful for its time, but dated, and fake. Vail is renovating–Writer Square should too. As long as they keep human scale and some greenery, things should turn out okay.
HA HA April Fools!!! Right? Right? For the love of all that is good I hope I'm right….
Ken, what is going on with the Union Station Project? I live in the Glass House and have noticed construction being started on the 18th St. pedestrian bridge. How will this play into the larger picture?
Thanks
The biggest missed opportunity here is the property's edge along larimer. Currently, it's a parking garage ramp and a UPS store.
The diagonal passage, meant to connect the ever-downsizing retail at tabor center to larimer square, has tenants that seem pretty consistent with larimer square…a vodka bar, chocolate & cheese shops, and a creperie. Yet, they don't connect well with larimer square, partly because Writer Square attempts to pull pedestrian traffic off of its street alignment and into its interior, and partly because the project makes a poor connection to larimer square at the critical 15th & larimer intersection.
Imagine if the parking ramp and UPS store along 15th were reconfigured with a wide sidewalk and storefronts belonging some of those specialty retailers that currently face inward. Sure, larimer place across the street and the tabor center would both still be giving larimer street the blank-wall treatment, but this would be an important step in the right direction.
If downtown had intact specialty retail with consistent storefronts along larimer that bridged the gap between larimer square and upper larimer, it could begin to be the major regional retail player that we've all been looking for.
HAHAHAHAHA that rendering is hilarious.
I've never noticed a problem with the square – save your money and invest in the renovation of a parking lot.
Retail underground? seriously? Have we learned nothing from the 80's?
j-j-j-jaded….
Like others, I actually like the "off the beaten path" that WS has. One of the great things about old European cities is the alley or narrow street that has the great restaurant, pub, cafe, bookstore, etc. It's a nice break from the block by block layout. There are a few other "hidden" passageways in the city that would be wonderful to revitalize in some fashion. The passage to Lime and the great little patio at Bistro Vendome is a favorite. A wonderful hidden space to me is the alley behind Capitol Grille. I think since that was built, not much is there, but it has a little plaza, and would be a gem of a spot if it was better known and more accessible. I also think the alley behind Tattered Cover has potential.
That said I agree that the Larimer side of WS could use some work, and some updates to storefronts are needed. However, despite its DURA roots, it actually works pretty well.
How many current projects would we love to have office, residential, retail and restaurants all more or less making a decent go of it (present economy excluded)…on an entire city block? This was thought out reasonably well and is fairly cohesive, don't mess with it too much!
It would be nice if the man behind the blog postings actually posted reader input instead of hogging all of the headlines for himself – "AKA Ken". Just think, all of the people that have opinions and perhaps far more knowledge about topics are confined to just the comment section.
Why not open things up Kenny? Your trip to Indianapolis was almost interesting. Pleanty of people have been to far more interesting places and have far more interesting information to add to this blog than just you. That's the purpose of blogs, to combine all opinions, both reader and host.
Your still that figure of authority who has the power to control and edit the posts, so why not give some other people a chance?
A fair question, Mr./Ms. Anonymous. I am working on a redo of DenverInfill that will make it a more collaborative environment, hopefully something for later in 2009. In the meantime, post your opinions as comments if you'd like.
Try skyscraperpage.com, among the many. There are so many smart people there, and there are many people who belive they are smart. There is also the option of starting your own blog.
Personally, I like the way Ken frames things and keeps order.
I have found that people that have far more interesting information are condescending and usually the info they isn't really interesting at all, but they can just argue their topic better that anyone else.
So don't be swayed Ken, do what YOU want.
@ Anon 12:59am
That's a fair point but lose the attitude. This is Ken's blog and he can do what he wants with it – even shut it down.
http://www.indenvertimes.com/2009/04/09/with-new-rules-work-on-civic-center-can-begin/
Civic Center Park info!!!!
Anon 12:59:
Actually that is not the purpose of blogs. Perhaps you were thinking a wiki?
I agree, Ken's take on the matter is very up-to-date with the current thinking on urban design, and certainly in tune with my own. If the sheer amount of work requires that he bring in interns or contributors, that could improve the site with more frequent updates – but I hope they'd remain under the vision it has now.
The push behind the concept of "infill" is for pedestrian-oriented neighborhoods, increasing density before claiming new prisitne land, increasing mass transit, green design, and sidewalk-friendly aesthetics, which are values Ken expresses well. It's a progressive idea. We know that not everyone in the U.S. is progressive, but the emphasis and love of "downtowns" is certainly progressive.
Aesthetics is probably one of the most important issues to us here, simply because its the most emotionally pleasing to see change and is most likely to bring a person in to a neighborhood, which is why there is a huge focus on getting rid fo parking lots.
There are people who have differing views on urban planning; some would prefer "Denver Infill" be worded "Metropolitan Growth," and some prefer no planning at all. But because of their preferences we find them around Highland's Ranch and Castle Rock rather than Downtown – I think Denverinfill does perfectly what it is trying to do.
I've tried to find comparable sites for cities like New York, Chicago or San Francisco, and even in more populous and more urban-oriented cities I haven't found anything more comprehensive than Denverinfill.
Beam me up Scotty!
>I've tried to find comparable sites for cities like New York, Chicago or San Francisco
DenverInfill is a really amazing site. Ken does an amazing job with it. Denver is lucky it's here.
But other cities just do things differently. Instead of one clearinghouse site, the bigger cities tend to have massive networks of blogs/sites, each filling a more specific niche. It would just be impossible for one site to do all these same things in New York – New York is too huge for one person.