The entire Union Station redevelopment may not be complete until July 12th but many of the individual elements are complete; such as the North and South Wing buildings. For the next two posts, we will be taking a final look at both buildings, starting with the North Wing Building, also known as IMA Financial Plaza.
Both of the wing buildings have a very minimalist design with a tan brick and glass facade. This was done intentionally to not take any attention away from the great historic architecture of Union Station.
Each of the wing buildings feature a glass curtain wall facing the historic station with retail along Wynkoop Plaza. The brickwork is also very intricate and adds a lot of subtle detail to the building. Throughout the facade, there are articulated bricks that change the texture and shadow of the building during the course of a day.
The entrance to the North Wing Building is facing Union Station along Wynkoop Plaza. Just beyond the lobby entrance are the stairs to the new pedestrian bridge, which are attached to the building.
Four years ago, there was a parking lot where this building stands now. What a great improvement! Welcome to Downtown Denver and Union Station, IMA Financial Plaza!
I like these wing buildings. I like that they are pulled off of the street a bit, giving a bit of breathing room. The brickwork is very nice, the ingredients are high quality. Street-level retail is a good thing too, but hopefully the north building has more than just a bank!
I love the look of this building. It looks classy to me. I think this is a a great addition to the area.
These wing buildings do more than any others in Union Station to reinforce the central importance of the grand old terminal. Like bookends, they bracket the front of the terminal, with their setbacks from Wynkoop, their attendance to the roof lines and the station’s cornice. I especially like the way the terminal’s “front porch” extended awning is reflected along the wing building’s reflective wall, facing the terminal building. In their profiles, color and texture, the wings address the centrality of Union Station, which becomes as prominent now as the State Capitol Building, the two landmarks anchoring the place we call Downtown.
I’m a little disappointed there isn’t an upper-story entrance to the building from the pedestrian overpass. Other than that, nice.
The enclosure at the retail spaces could’ve been designed better (more articulation than just storefront, more awnings on the sides without a canopy, etc – see 16Market for high quality retail enclosure design in a newer building), but otherwise they are nice buildings and really improve that stretch of Wynkoop.
I went to a presentation by the Union Station team way back when these wing buildings were originally proposed, and there were a handful of disgruntled, outspoken old men who were absolutely insistent that these buildings not be built. They felt the only appropriate use of this land was to turn the former Union Station parking lot into a grand public plaza —in their words, something “European-style.”
I remember disagreeing with them at the time, but not really knowing for sure how this would all turn out. It’s clear now that these two wing buildings are an essential part of this neighborhood mix, and actually seem to do more to embrace and amplify Union Station than crowd it. Although it’s a little hard to tell while construction continues, the plaza in front of the station seems plenty large, especially with the option of shutting down Wewatta Street for larger events.
Because of these wing buildings, the space in front of the station feels cozier, more akin to the square outside the Pompidou in Paris than something massive and overwhelming like Tiananmen Square in Beijing. And, in my view, Denver is better off for it.
I don’t know, maybe I can be a disgruntled old man as I like open and uncluttered European plazas. Having said this, maybe there is still youthful fire in me, as I also like what has been done here with the two wing buildings and the relatively open plazas that are being installed. So I’m not feeling disgruntled about this one! 😉
Love it. Great job.