More proof that, for the moment, mod is pop: The Texas event production company behind Austin Fashion Week and other large-scale happenings in the Lone Star State recently chose Denver for a chichi modern architecture tour.
“We picked Denver for a reason,” says Matt Swinney, co-founder of Modern Home Tours LLC. “Denver is an architecturally progressive community and shows some truly stunning pieces of modern residential and commercial properties.”
Eight properties are scheduled to be part of this new Denver Modern Home Tour. The event is Oct. 22 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are $22 in advance and $30 on that Saturday.
Swinney’s team worked with local real estate agents to pinpoint appropriate homes and businesses to showcase on the tour. But he underscores that this is different from a Parade of Homes-type event that solely spotlights sale properties.
Yes, some of these are for sale, but all are occupied, Swinney says.
The promoter also distinguished his event from previous, homegrown Denver modern home tours that, he says, appeal mainly to architecture and design buffs.
“This is about modern architecture for the masses,” Swinney says. “We try to get as many people through the doors as possible.”
How does he know there’s interest? Three years ago, when his company launched its Austin Modern Home Tour, about 1,000 people attended the event. This year, that event sold three times as many tickets, he says.
Swinney notes that the term “modern” refers to a particular style of architecture characterized by simple forms, clean lines, open spaces and abundant natural light, while the term “contemporary” refers to what’s hot and happening right now. But, he adds, America is at a crossroad where modern and contemporary meet.
That means more interest in the newly built, often inaccessible flat glass, metal and stone structures that seem to have become de rigueur in Denver’s urban neighborhoods. Swinney is banking on the public’s curiosity in these new buildings.
“In the United States, these boxy, super-sustainable homes are still like a shiny new penny,” he says. “You end up with people who drive by and peer at them . . . this is an opportunity to go inside.”
Details and tickets at .
