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Denver's architectural scene is an exciting foray into the old and the new, where all specimens exude a pride not found in other cities. Aside from Denver and the surrounding cities, you'll find plenty else to be interested in architecturally, from the old mining towns to Cheyenne, from the U.S. Air Force Academy to Royal Gorge Bridge.
Architecture in Denver, Colorado
Denver's architecture consists of some grand old buildings, such as the Colorado State Capitol, as well as powerful modern skyscrapers, such as 1999 Broadway and 1801 California Street. The city's grand old buildings are Neoclassical Revival, Romanesque, or Victorian in terms of style.
If you've never been to the U.S. Capitol in Washington DC, a good alternative to witness such governmental grandeur is the Colorado State Capitol, on Capitol Hill. This interesting variation intentionally mimics much of what makes DC's home of the legislature great: prominent wings on either side of a dome, which rises up from the top of a mount in the center of the city. In one respect, the builders actually outdid DC's, by plating the dome with solid gold, in honor of the gold rushes that founded the state. On the 15th step leading to the copper-topped front doors, the words “One Mile Above Sea Level” are inscribed; however, after more advanced measuring techniques, a plaque was placed on the 18th step, and then another just a few years ago on the 13th step. Inside, be totally awed by the priceless Colorado Rose Onyx, the world's supply of which was totally used up in the building's construction.
After you've finished with the Capitol building itself, you can tour around the rest of Capitol Hill, and visit Civic Center, a huge symmetrical Neoclassical park and collection of buildings. Included are a Greek amphitheater, gardens, a war memorial, and a seal pond. Another architectural masterpiece is the Annunciation Catholic Church, a huge French Gothic offering from the early 20th century. It's located at 3601 Humboldt Street in East Park Place, and it's where Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass twice when he visited the city in 1993.
If you crave modernity on your visit to Denver, you won't find this city lacking either. The city's futuristic skyline - made up of Republic Plaza, 1801 California Street, Wells Fargo Center, and 1999 Broadway - is a mark of the Energy Boom that took place in the 1980s. Denver's tallest skyscraper, located at 370 17th Street, is Republic Plaza, at 714 feet tall. Built in the International style, the face is of polished Sardinian granite.
If you want to see some more tall buildings which are interesting and original to boot, check out the following three:
- 1801 California Street - This is Denver's second-tallest building, and it is crowned with the famous Qwest insignia.
- 1999 Broadway - This shiny beast, at 544 feet, was built around the Holy Ghost Catholic Church and not on top of it.
- MCI Tower - At 555 17th Street, this skyscraper features a unique set-forward design. Before the step, the bottom floors contain the Marriott City Center Hotel, and above are offices.
In LoDo, a must-see is Brown Palace Hotel, Denver's second-oldest hotel. Built in 1892, it is most distinguishable by its triangular shape. The outer walls of the Victorian-style building are of red granite and sandstone; the eight-story atrium abounds in pale golden onyx from Mexico, and stained glass adorns its ceiling.
Architecture in Boulder, Colorado
Boulders' got a feel all its own, typified by the architecture of the University of Colorado at Boulder's campus. The university was founded in 1877, and by the 1910s it was in need of massive expansion. The style picked for the renewed campus was Italian Rural, and the buildings were built primarily of Lyons sandstone. The style and the building material bestows upon the campus a very rugged, yet classical air, which fits in well with the Rockies foothills. Witness the multi-leveled red-tiled roofs on all the buildings, then note the contrast of the Macky Auditorium. This rather large structure is more an amalgam of styles, and you can pick out elements of Neo-Gothic, Italianate, British Gothic - basically reflecting many of the places that the university's president had visited by that time.
Mining Town Architecture
The mining towns in the region, such as Georgetown, and Silver Plume, offer gorgeous buildings in a slightly more rustic Victorian style. You'll find gingerbread houses, flagstone walkways, and Gothic Revival embellishments. In Georgetown, don't miss the Hamill House, a white Victorian structure built in 1867 and lived in by the owner of the wealth-making Lebanon Silver Mine. Silver Plume, more a ghost town of the two, has preserved a large amount of its old architecture and has sprouted a few museums.
The main architectural attraction in Cripple Creek is Butte Opera House. This is a Victorian-style structure, built in the late-19th century. Recently it was renovated with ornate Victorian wallpaper and all the trappings, probably to a level of fancy not known to the original opera-goers. The Cripple Creek Players now play at the opera house.
Architecture in Cheyenne, Wyoming
The Wyoming State Capitol is, like Colorado's, modeled on the U.S. Capitol, albeit a bit more loosely. It's almost like these Western state Capitols had something to prove to their Eastern counterparts, that even though they're so far away from where it all began, they're just as American. The Capitol is built in the Corinthian style, with a Greek-fashioned dome and portico. The building material is sandstone quarried from nearby Fort Collins, Colorado. Inside and out there are tributes to Wyoming and its inhabitants: bison, the animal so associated with Wyoming; Chief Washakie of the Shoshoni tribe of Native Americans; and Esther Hobart Morris, who was instrumental in gaining for Wyoming women the right to vote.
United States Air Force Academy Architecture
The stunning Cadet Chapel in the U.S. Air Force Academy campus is in fact the most-visited architectural attraction in the state. It bears the appearance of 17 white fighter jets lined nose-up, and it's one of the most stirring examples of American academic architecture, i.e., of the buildings on university campuses. It almost wasn't built on account of its daring shape, and when it was first dedicated, it was the subject of much controversy. The United States Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel is located in the Cadet Area, with the Rampart Range of the Rockies as a backdrop. There are plenty of other buildings in the Cadet Area of architectural worth, such as Arnold Hall and the Aeronautics Laboratory. The academy itself is located just north of Colorado Springs.
The Royal Gorge Bridge
Right outside Canon City, hanging 1,053 feet above the raging Arkansas River, is the Royal Gorge Bridge. This is the highest suspension bridge in the world and, curiously, it was built specifically for the sake of increasing tourism. It dates to 1929, right before the Depression, is 880 feet long, only 18 feet wide, and its walkway is comprised of over 1,000 planks. The towers upon which the bridge is suspended are 150 feet high.
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