Denver Union Station Transformed into “Denver’s Living Room” Through Adaptive Reuse and Restoration

Denver Union Station. Denver, CO.

On the edge of Denver’s Central Business District, in the LoDo neighborhood, sits the historic Beaux-Arts landmark known as Denver Union Station. The building often surfaces when researching adaptive reuse projects. This is due not just because of the renovation of the historic building, but also because of its transformation into a multimodal transportation hub and its role in reviving the surrounding neighborhood. The building has sat in the heart of Denver since 1881, when it opened as Denver Union Depot. When it opened, it was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River and served as a gateway to The Mile High City. A fire broke out in 1894, requiring the building to be rebuilt. The architectural style of the building was Romanesque Revival until the 1914 renovation of the central terminal. This new structure was in the Beaux-Arts style and designed by Denver architects, Grove and Walsh. At its peak in the 1940’s Union Station accommodated over 50,000 travelers a day. However, by 1958 air-travel had surpassed rail-travel and the building saw a steady decline in visitors. It was at this time that the iconic orange sign “Union Station: Travel by Train” was erected on the building. The building and its surrounds soon fell into disuse and disrepair.

The iconic, yet vacant, building was purchased in 2001 by RTD (Regional Transportation District) with the vision to transform it into a multimodal transportation hub. In 2006, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) designed the master plan and transit architecture. Hargreaves and Associates was appointed the lead public-realm designer. Construction commenced to include 9 modes of transit, consisting of: landscaping, an open-air train shed, a 22- gate underground bus terminal, a light rail station and pedestrian plazas. In 2012 work began on the historic building when US Alliance submitted the winning proposal to transform the building into a multiuse development with offices, retail and restaurants, anchored by a 112-bed independentboutique hotel- as well as housing the public transit facilities. US Alliance’s proposal was to turn the central terminal into “Denver’s Living Room”. The renovated building had it’s grand opening in 2014.

The exterior spaces, as designed by SOM, have transformed the once vacant 20-acre site into a major regional transit district. Its bustling 2-block long pedestrian promenade links the train hall with the light rail terminal and the hub links to Denver International Airport. Public gathering spaces include 17th Street Promenade and Gardens, and Wynkoop Plaza. It’s reported that soon after completion, the new hub had brought in over $1 billion dollars in private mixed-usedevelopment for the surrounding neighborhood, and included a network of pedestrian and pubic spaces within and around the site, integrating it into the LoDo district. The transport hub was soon carrying approximately 10,000 passengers daily.

The focal point of the exterior is the open-air train hall. SOM’s swooping design is an “efficient and formally expressive means of sheltering multiple railway tracks”. In profile, the canopies rise to 70 feet at either end and descend in a dynamic sweep to 22 feet in the center. This provides not only shelter, but also views of the historic station. Underground the bus concourse is 980 feet in length with terrazzo floors and yellow glass tiles. Daylight floods the space through the use of skylights and glass pavilions.

For the transformation of the historic building, United Alliance commissioned Trybra Architects and JG Johnson Architects. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and required careful adherence to the original materials and design. The two original wings, in the Romanesque Revival style, feature narrow windows, rusticated stonework and motifs of the state flower, the Columbine. New dormers with windows were built into the existing attic space and windows were updated to meet LEED certification requirements. (Many of the 200 windows were original single pane windows.) Additionally, entrances were restored and added to the ground level. Interior challenges included warped wooden floors, which needed to adhere to ADA guidelines and the removal of asbestos and lead paint. Distinctive features of the original interiors included 3 chandeliers and long wooden benches with built-in heat and lighting. The chandeliers were updated and the benches were removed due to asbestos. The old ticket counters were converted into the terminal bar and color schemes were updated from browns and tans to whites and neutrals. A new mezzanine level was added to the 3-story building and the iron canopy was repaired and restored. Additionally, the grand staircases were restored and elevators and emergency egress stairways were integrated into the floorplans.

Today, the large central area, designed to be “Denver’s Living Room”, serves as the lobby to the independent Crawford Hotel, a gathering space and a transit arrivals hall. The space’s retail and hospitality features Colorado food, drink and entertainment. The refurbishment has won several accolades, including: LEED certification, the Eagle Award of Excellence for Historical Renovation and the Global Award for Excellence from the Urban Land Institute. Denver Union Station is a gleaming example of how cities can preserve their unique identities while transitioning for the needs of the future.