Those with the most at stake in Denver’s planned new justice center campus, Mayor John Hickenlooper, City Council members and Golden Triangle neighborhood leaders believe the buildings – particularly the courthouse – must be iconic, legacy structures, preferably designed by noted architects.
Of course, one person’s icon is another’s eyesore. However, the exit of New York architect Steven Holl created concern among stakeholders about the timetable and design of the courthouse.
So, in an attempt to reinforce confidence in the ability of local architect Brian Klipp to lead the courthouse design, the city last week assembled a peer review team to critique the project as it moves through its design stages. The team brings expertise in the design of courthouses and large civic campuses.
Local design review teams have had input into several of Denver’s public projects – most recently the convention center and convention hotel. While those teams included numerous local architects, the process has been informal and advisory.
Inviting a peer panel of outside and local experts to review the courthouse design more formally underscores the importance of the project than what Denver has done with previous projects.
Perhaps peer review will contribute to quality design, although it’s more likely that cost and budget constraints will clarify the look of the building.
Architect and Golden Triangle leader Dennis Humphries believes the final design will be enhanced by this review. “We listen to experts,” Humphries says, pointing to the decision to acquire an additional block in order to separate the jail from the courthouse.
“The Golden Triangle neighbors made that suggestion three years ago, but it took the national Urban Land Institute site review team to persuade the city it was the right thing to do. I believe outside experts will be more candid in their criticism than a local review committee might be.”
Community Planning Director Peter Park will host the team, which consists of three national and three local architects already associated with the justice center.
Bruce Kuwabara, a partner with Toronto’s Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg, was one of three finalists for lead designer of the Wellington E. Webb Municipal Building. Considered a very talented modernist, Kuwabara’s designs include the Canadian Embassy in Berlin and Le Quartier Concordia for Concordia University in downtown Montreal. He is currently designing a mixed-use building adjacent to the Sugar Building in Lower Downtown.
John Ellis is a principal with Solomon ETC in San Francisco. A noted urban designer and architect from England, Ellis was the lead designer for two federal courthouses.
Laurie Olin is the third out-of-state designer on the team. Olin teaches landscape design at the University of Pennsylvania and is considered one of the nation’s premier landscape architects.
The three will join Park, Lee Becker of Hartman Cox (lead designer of the new detention center), AR7’s Ranko Ruizic (lead designer for the post office/garage already under construction) and David Tryba (master urban design architect for the justice center campus).
The seven will meet privately with Klipp’s design team three times during the design process. Each of the out-of- towners will receive expenses plus a $5,000 honorarium.
Private sessions are appropriate if the experience of the three designers is to truly impact the design. However, the public could truly benefit by hearing these experts’ perspectives on the whole Civic Center District, its governmental and cultural buildings and how the district relates to adjacent neighborhoods and to downtown.
If these three experts can help harmonize the relationships of the buildings in the justice center campus to one another, to the neighborhood and to the city, the extra time and money will be a wise investment.
Creating distinctive public buildings is important, but it’s even more vital that they integrate well into their surroundings and into the city as a whole.
The elements of iconic architecture are in the eye of the beholder. The fabric of a city impacts us all.
Susan Barnes-Gelt (bs13@qwest.net) served eight years on the Denver City Council and was an aide to former Denver Mayor Federico Peña. Her column appears on alternate Sundays.
