Historic Denver, Inc. and SLATERPAULL Architects invite you to experience the ongoing behind-the-scenes stories of two historic Lower Downtown (LoDo) Denver landmarks.

For nearly a century, Union Station and Engine House No. 5 have served the city in specific capacities. Their unique stories of transformation into useful 21st century spaces (designed to respect their historic pasts) is a challenge we'll share here with bi-weekly updates, behind-the-scenes images and progress reports.

Union Station

Union Station
It's the largest transportation redevelopment project in North America. The Urban Land Institute says the plan "will transform Downtown Denver." Union Station and downtown Denver's next chapter is being written, and you can follow it here.

7.22.2010

Engine House No. 5 Update

The project is well underway now and the majority of the interior space has been cleared out with the original materials left to shine. We have sand blasted the wood joists and begun stripping the interior brick using gel strippers and water. The original cast iron stair has also been sandblasted and has revealed so much more of the natural beauty of that material than usable any more.

One of the masonry infills has been removed, too, it starts to give a good sense of how much light will be on the inside (even though it is now covered in plywood for security reasons).

Speaking of the interior, the design of the lobby space is coming along. Above is a sketch of what it might look like standing in the lobby. One of the materials we are exploring is beetle kill pine… they used it at the Biennial in the McNichols building and it looks great!

We are fortunate to have a B-cycle station right across the street from the building, hopefully we’ll be able to take good advantage of those to help us get around town.

We are still on schedule for a Thanksgiving move-in date with lots to do before then. Stay tuned!

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The History of Denver's Union Station

Its story has been told recently in a new documentary film - Denver Union Station: Portal to Progress, and for Director Jim Havey, the story is captivating. "The railroads changed everything, from perception of time and distance to the scope of people's hopes and dreams." says Havey. "Union Station was a welcoming gateway for a procession of arrivals and departures that transformed the development of Denver and the Rocky Mountain West. With great public attention on the future of Union Station the time is right for a revealing and entertaining interpretation of the history surrounding the depot."

Union Station's future is now, and we're at the crossroads where debate and opinion are determining it. Historic Denver will continue its involvement in the redevelopment of Denver Union Station as a consulting party to the Federal 106 process, where historic resources must be considered when federal funds are utilized, and as the managing partner in the Historic Structure Assessment (funded in large part by the State Historical Fund) for the historic station. SLATERPAULL Architects will be leading the team conducting the Historic Structure Assessment (HSA) and will provide updates on their more interesting findings in this blog.

Do you know about the plans? Do you use Union Station? We want to know what you think!

About Me

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Historic Denver, Inc. is Denver's premier nonprofit historic preservation organization. Founded in 1970, HDI has spent four decades protecting and preserving places that matter. SLATERPAULL Architects is a Denver-based architecture practice celebrating 37 years in business. A leader in the design of educational spaces and historic preservation, SLATERPAULL Architects is dedicated to creating community-enhancing environments that reflect the firm’s commitment to ‘Design for a Sustainable Future.’ For more information, visit www.SLATERPAULL.com.