Every building has its secrets, as tightly held in as the rain is sealed out. That’s their nature, to be secure, shielding, private.
And that’s why Doors Open Denver is so irresistible. For one weekend every year, dozens of the city’s most interesting addresses invite the public to see what’s inside. Visitors can check out everything from the woodwork to the wallpaper.
This year’s Doors Open Denver will put 57 sites on view and they’re a varied bunch — sleek business towers, restored, red-brick factories, artist studios and architects’ offices stretching across downtown.
The Denver Architectural Foundation, which coordinates the event, is changing things up for the 11th edition. Nearly everything remains free, including access to all the sites. But there will be an extended roster of guided tours led by local experts, and some of them will require a $10 ticket. As usual, the tours will be hot items, so it’s wise to reserve space in advance.
Denver Union Station is this year’s headquarters, though you don’t have to go there unless you need a little direction. There’s plenty of info at doorsopendenver.com, where you can download a list of all the sites and their unique visiting hours, plus some informative background that will help plan your day (or days if you want to tackle all 57).
Here are five good bets for DOD 2015. These are mostly newcomers to the architectural scene, buildings we’ve been watching go upt.
16M, 16th Street Mall and Market Street
This midrise, mixed-use building is a flower in an area of downtown sprouting acres of weeds. Gensler architects replaced a boring Office Depot with a clever and attractive 10-story structure that has four floors of residences on top, five floors of office space in the middle — and since it’s all about the base in LoDo — prime retail space on the first floor. It’s set back purposefully from the street as it rises, solving a design challenge that’s vexed builders in the neighborhood for decades.
Balfour at Riverfront Park, 1590 Little Raven St.
Old age is the rage these days as people live longer, and residential facilities like Balfour are the wave of the future, offering spaces for all stages of senior living from complete independence to assisted Alzheimer’s care. As far as final addresses go, this one is prettier than most. It’s built around the Georgian Revival-style Moffat Station, designed during the railroad boom in 1906 by Edwin Moorman, and updated by the well-known Robert A.M. Stern in 2013.
Bindery on Blake, 2901 Blake St.
We love buildings with stories and this 100-year-old brick wonder has several. It started as a metal factory then became a storage warehouse, and then a printing press. Now, it’s an incubator for collaborative businesses, right on trend for the progressive River North neighborhood it calls home. Working with owner Sonia Danielsen, Oz Architects turned its loading dock into a patio while preserving its steel trusses and sun-loving, clerestory windows.
Boettcher Concert Hall, Denver Performing Arts Complex,1000 14th St.
Boettcher is one of the more public buildings on the Doors Open Denver list, though if you’re not a classical- music fan, chances are you’ve never been inside. There are good reasons to check it out beyond the fact that architect Norman Pfeiffer’s 1978 wonder was one of the first orchestra halls built in the round. The arts complex is about to get a serious makeover, and Boettcher is at the center of the renovation. See it before it changes forever.
DaVita World Headquarters, 2000 16th St.
The DaVita building, with its angled roof and shiny glass façade, has been a lighting rod for architectural discussions since it opened in 2012. Is it sharp or showy? An expressionist landmark or an overzealous symbol of corporate ego? Or is the 14-story structure, designed by MOA & Acquilano Leslie, all of those things? The first and 14th floors will be open to most of Saturday and Sunday with tours of the 14th floor every 15 minutes from 11:15 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
Ray Mark Rinaldi: 303-954-1540, rrinaldi@denverpost.com or twitter.com/rayrinaldi
DOORS OPEN DENVER
The annual event that invites visitors inside some of the city’s most prominent buildings takes place Saturday and Sunday at 57 locations around downtown. Hours vary by site. This year’s headquarters is Denver Union Station, 1701 Wynkoop St., open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Most sites and tours are free, some cost $10. Download a map and info on the website. doorsopendenver.com
