Originally designed by our studio in 2008, the 1900 16th Street office building was the first new commercial development in the then-desolate neighborhood at the termination of the 16th Street Mall. The original lobby presented a timeless two-story space, aimed to attract Class A tenants to a relatively uncharted area of downtown. Eleven years later, the neighborhood has vastly changed. With new developments on all sides, the building now finds itself at the heart of one of Denver’s most desirable, vibrant urban neighborhoods—the Union Station corridor. While the location now naturally attracts world-class tenants, it was time to enhance the building lobby, as the first point of welcome, to better reflect the spirit of innovation, collaboration and social interaction seen in the neighborhood.

The design team was challenged with transforming a pass-through lobby into a space where tenants and visitors want to be. Importantly, the lobby had to remain fully functional through the design and construction process, and wholesale changes to the program and access points were not options. Therefore, the design team focused on incorporating high-impact materials to create a reimagined, modern space for forward-thinking tenants. The design concept centers on activation by creating pockets of seclusion versus openness and integrating visceral and inviting elements of nature, mixed and honest materials and elements of scale to solidify variety and pay homage to the grand entrance. The design also respects and enhances the spectacular natural daylighting that changes the way the space feels throughout the day and night.

A Japanese textured black clay tile became the material of choice to translate a contemporary expression into the previously traditional space. The tile creates maximum desired impact while being additive in texture and depth. As a darkened backdrop in the light-filled room, it accentuates the new green plant life, warm wood seating structures and jewel-toned fabrics.

Alongside maximum impact with minimal disruption, the client wanted to express local Colorado culture and landscape within the space. The reception desk was reoriented to create a receiving zone at the anchor end of the lobby. A library wall incorporates green plant life and local artifacts and reading materials. A spherical installation by Denver-based artist Theresa Clowes suspends local Cottonwood sticks into a collective body, representing ecological alliances and the boundlessness of possibility.