I was pleased to read yesterday in Margaret Jackson’s Post article that the developer of Komorebi, the glassy condo building once planned for 15th & Delgany in the Union Station district, has reconceived the project as a boutique hotel/retail/cultural facility. Amy Harmon, the developer, has also hired London architect David Adjaye who design the Museum of Contemporary Art across the street from the site. The hotel portion will likely have around 60 rooms.
There’s not yet a name for the project or a design, but this is good news and something to look forward to starting later in 2010. The site is very underutilized and a nice mid-rise building with active ground-floor uses there will further elevate 15th Street from Larimer to W. 29th Avenue as one of Downtown Denver’s best streets.
This is exciting news! I really admire Daniel Adjaye's work. I saw the exhibit of his previous projects when the Contemporary Art Museum first opened and was very impressed. Along with Calatrava designing the Fastrax station at DIA, and the Clifford Still Museum, Denver will have some fantastic architecture to look forward to. I am very anxious to see the final design for the Colorado History Museum and the State Judicial building. The Auraria campus science building looks great, much better than I thought from the renderings.
Corey
I'm excited that in this era of development projects getting scrapped that they haven't abandoned the collaboration.
I just hope that they will make that intersection a little more pedestrian friendly. Cars really come down 15th fast.
Yes, that intersection definitely needs a stoplight! What a change from a decade ago–back then, there were few pedestrians that needed protecting.
I agree with Corey too, the new science building at Auraria looks great. I can't wait for the temporary sidewalk shelter to come down.
Indeed, that intersection is somewhat scary.
That's great news! A perfect site for a boutique hotel (and thank God the Museum won't be bookended by garages), and great news that she's hired Adjaye, who's MCA design I think is brilliant.
I live on Delgany and according to my HOA the city will place a stoplight at 15th and Delgany soon.
…so, what happend to the poor architect that Harmon was working with? Left out in the cold? Seems to be a sea of them in her wake – watch out!
Please extrapolate, Anonymous, 5:47.
Architects get changed on projects all the time for various (and legitimate) reasons. Or is there more afoot, as you infer?
BTW, I believe the previous architect for the prior Komorebi concept was In Situ Design.
this is definitely a perfect fit for the area and especially the MCA.
There is already too much residentia packed in those two blocks, and a mix of hospitality, retail and cultural uses will make the area more vibrant and interesting.