DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCE
LEPRINO FAMILY ATRIUM
DENVER, COLORADO
ARCHITECT’S STATEMENT
Stephen Johnson, AIA
Principal, HHPA
Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates (HHPA) of Los Angeles and associate architect HLM Design of Denver have been collaborating with the Denver Museum of Nature & Science since 1999 to program and plan a dramatic renovation of public areas on the west side of the Museum, including areas related to the institution’s exciting new exhibit initiative, Space Odyssey. Opening in September 2002 is the new Leprino Family Atrium, a dynamic three-story space providing connections to many of the Museum’s exhibit spaces and offering visitors stunning views of Denver and City Park. An open-air roof-level terrace provides Museum visitors with a breathtaking 200-mile panorama of the Rocky Mountains.
The Leprino Family Atrium replaces the west lobby, built in 1953, and transforms the previous masonry façade with a new glass curtain wall facing City Park. The architecture visually opens up the Museum for the first time, allowing views into the wide range of activities in the atrium and strengthening the link between the park and the Museum. The glass is slanted to reduce glare and reflection and is tinted green to fit within the context of the surrounding landscape when viewed from other areas of the park. The atrium is flanked by two new stairs clad in insulated translucent panels; at night the entire composition provides a soft glow of light supporting the Museum’s goal of dark-sky preservation.
The interior of the atrium is one of the most unique public spaces in Denver, designed to reinforce the Museum’s sense of adventure and curiosity in the 21st century. The places in the atrium are shaped by four architectural “rings” that link the three levels of the 20,000-square-foot atrium and embrace its various activities. The rings’ curved form manifests the spirit of movement in nature: circles, orbits, and the cycles on which the natural world is built. Three of the four rings are oriented to the mountains, pointing to the location of the setting sun at the times of the winter solstice, the summer solstice, and the vernal and autumnal equinox. The fourth ring encloses the upper level Harry T. Lewis Jr. Community Room, a distinctive space for meetings and educational use.
The perforated metal rings define open, yet intimate spaces for the Ricketson and Schlessman Lobbies on the first level and the Spratlen Family Lounge on the second level. New “bridge” stairs connect all levels and a variety of informal places for Museum visitors to rest and reflect. Throughout the atrium, visitors enjoy the incomparable vista of City Park, the Denver skyline, and the Front Range, a vista dubbed the “best view in Denver.” In the evening, the atrium provides space for special events and other Museum functions.
The elements of the interior can also be used as a teaching tool about perception and observation. The angle of the glass wall can make the columns look tilted, leading to discussions about expectations and reality. The overlapping layers of perforated metal create interesting moiré patterns. And the high-performance, low-E glass nearly eliminates the effect of solar heat gain in the space and creates a remarkable “transparent shade” throughout atrium. As the Museum further outfits the atrium and adjacent areas with technology, nearby resource rooms with computer stations will allow the visitor to access digital collections of information and photographs about Museum topics.
Also included is the renovation of more than 10,000 square feet of exhibition space in the areas surrounding the atrium, updating exhibit themes, creating new learning spaces, and providing clear, consistent access to the new atrium-a key objective of the project. The atrium now facilitates easy circulation throughout all levels of the Museum. Nearly 7,000 square feet of exhibit support space has been created on the lower level below the atrium, allowing more of the existing first-level areas to be devoted to public use.
Atop the atrium is the new 5,000-square-foot Sky Terrace, a welcoming oasis of quiet contemplation during the day and a place for urban stargazing at night. The outdoor patio, with nearby support facilities, can accommodate a wide number of special rooftop events. The summer solstice ring dramatically emerges onto the Sky Terrace from the atrium below and directs the visitor’s view to the expanse of mountains beyond. The striped blue wall is a continuation of the atrium wall below and connects the terrace to the sky, linking the Museum and its visitors with the worlds above.
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