Denver Art Museum Reopening Announced
April 22, 2021
Photo by Atom Stevens
The Denver Art Museum (DAM) will reopen its expanded and reimagined campus to the public with a free general admission day on October 24, 2021, unveiling all eight levels of its iconic Gio Ponti-designed Lanny and Sharon Martin Building (formerly referred to as the North Building), which originally opened to the public 50 years ago, and the new Anna and John J. Sie Welcome Center. Part of an overall campus reunification and building renovation project designed by Machado Silvetti and Fentress Architects, the campus reopening coincides with the Martin Building’s 50th anniversary.
The components of the renovation, renovation and expansion
The Martin Building has been fully restored and renovated throughout, which includes the addition of 33,328 square feet of new gallery and public space, fulfilling Ponti’s original vision for visitor access to stunning 7th-floor views; the addition of skylights that reveal new angles of the building’s design; and exterior improvements such as lighting and revitalization of the glass tiles on the building’s façade. The renovation also includes updating environmental and other key systems with the latest technology. The completed project received LEED Silver certification. Infrastructure and safety upgrades include a new elevator core, which adds two additional elevators and a transparent public staircase for improved visitor flow, along with updated mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, new windows, new flooring and new exterior wall insulation. The transformed Martin Building will showcase the museum's encyclopedic collections from around the world and throughout history, while putting its nationally recognized educational programming at the center of the campus.
View of the Sie Welcome Center from the re-imagined and restored original bridge entrance. Photo by Eric Stephenson, Denver Art Museum
This October will also mark the opening of the museum’s new Sie Welcome Center, which connects the Hamilton and Martin buildings, with a nod to Gio Ponti’s original vision. The new building, crowned by an elliptical glass event and program space, visually connects the campus, creating improved spaces for ticketing and guest services, as well as two new dining options. The lower level houses a purpose-built art conservation and technical studies laboratory.
View out from the Sturm Grand Pavilion on the second floor of the Welcome Center. Photo by James Florio Photography
The 50,000-square-foot Sie Welcome Center’s second story façade is comprised of a series of 25-foot-tall, 8-foot-wide curved structural glass panels with insulated glazing—an unprecedented feat of engineering and the first building to use curved panels in this way. The welcome center serves as an entry point and a destination for visitors and seamlessly connects all aspects of the museum campus.
For more on the Public Opening and the celebratory events leading up to it, visit the Denver Art Museum website, here.
To learn more about the project and the design process behind it, click below.
- Æ
- © 2020 Machado Silvetti
