EXTENSION TO THE DENVER ART MUSEUM, FREDERIC C.

HAMILTON BUILDING

2006

Studio Libeskinds extension to the Denver Art Museum is his first building to reach completion in the USA. Silhouetted against the majestic
backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, Libeskinds design consists of a series of geometric volumes inspired by the peaks and valleys of the mountain
range. A sharply angled cantilevered section juts across the street, pointing towards the existing Museum by Milanese architect Gio Ponti, which
first opened in 1971.
The Frederic C. Hamilton Building, as the 146,000-square-foot Denver Art Museum extension is named, is clad in an innovative new surface with
9,000 titanium panels that cover the buildings surface and reflect the brilliant Colorado landscape.
The architect conceived of the extension project as part of a composition of public spaces, monuments and gateways in this developing part of
the city, tying together downtown, the Civic Center, and forming a strong connection to the golden triangle neighborhood. The Acoma Plaza of the
Arts, which is the front yard of the Museum, is filled with public art (amongst them, pieces by Beverly Pepper, Claes Oldenburg, Coosje van
Bruggen and Mark di Suvero) and is a stage for public events. The Museum has served as an engine of rejuvenation for the entire neighborhood
with new museums and housing joining the landscape of the complex.
The shardlike titanium-clad forms of the Denver Art Museums Frederic C. Hamilton Building burst on the citys downtown with the energy of a
lightning bolt. the jagged building is a surprisingly successful tour de force on urbanistic grounds alone. Suzanne Stephens, Architectural
Record (January, 2007)

EXTENSION TO THE DENVER ART MUSEUM, FREDERIC C. HAMILTON BUILDING

Denver, CO
DATE
2006
STATUS
Completed

CLIENT
Denver Art Museum
BUILDING SIZE
146,000 sq.ft
DESCRIPTION
Studio Libeskinds extension to the Denver Art Museum is his first building to reach completion in the USA. Silhouetted against the majestic
backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, Libeskinds design consists of a series of geometric volumes inspired by the peaks and valleys of the mountain
range. A sharply angled cantilevered section juts across the street, pointing towards the existing Museum by Milanese architect Gio Ponti, which
first opened in 1971.
The Frederic C. Hamilton Building, as the 146,000-square-foot Denver Art Museum extension is named, is clad in an innovative new surface with
9,000 titanium panels that cover the buildings surface and reflect the brilliant Colorado landscape.
The architect conceived of the extension project as part of a composition of public spaces, monuments and gateways in this developing part of
the city, tying together downtown, the Civic Center, and forming a strong connection to the golden triangle neighborhood. The Acoma Plaza of the
Arts, which is the front yard of the Museum, is filled with public art (amongst them, pieces by Beverly Pepper, Claes Oldenburg, Coosje van
Bruggen and Mark di Suvero) and is a stage for public events. The Museum has served as an engine of rejuvenation for the entire neighborhood
with new museums and housing joining the landscape of the complex.
The shardlike titanium-clad forms of the Denver Art Museums Frederic C. Hamilton Building burst on the citys downtown with the energy of a
lightning bolt. the jagged building is a surprisingly successful tour de force on urbanistic grounds alone. Suzanne Stephens, Architectural
Record (January, 2007)
JOINT VENTURE PARTNER
Davis Partnership
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
ARUP (Los Angeles)
MECHANICAL ENGINEER
MKK Engineers and ARUP (Los Angeles) (M&E)
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER
MKK Engineers and ARUP (Los Angeles) (M&E)
PLUMBING ENGINEER
MKK Engineers and ARUP (Los Angeles) (M&E)
CIVIL ENGINEER
JF Sato and Associates
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
Studio Daniel Libeskind with Davis Partnership
LIGHTING DESIGNER
George Sexton and Associates
CONTRACTOR
M.A Mortensen Co. (Colorado)
FACADE
Gordon H Smith + ARUP + BCE
STRUCTURAL CONNECTION DESIGN
Structural Consultants, Inc.
MECHANICAL AIR
ARUP (Los Angeles)
THEATER CONSULTANT
Auerbach Pollock Friedlander
ACOUSTICAL CONSULTANT
ARUP (Los Angeles)

GRAPHICS
Arthouse
LOBBY CONSULTANT
LORD Cultural Resources
WIND TUNNEL TESTING
CPP
TRAFFIC
Felsburg Holt & Ullevig
VERTICAL TRANSPORTATION
HKA Elevator Consulting

North Building
In 1971, the museum opened what is now known as the North Building, designed by Italian architect Gio Ponti and Denver-based James Sudler Associates. The sevenstory structure, 210,000-square-foot building allowed the museum to display its collections under one roof for the first time. This architectural icon remains the only
completed project in the United States by this important Italian master of modern design.
The North Building, at right in the photo above, was an innovative move away from traditional, temple-style museum architecture. More than a million reflective glass tiles
on the building's exterior complement the dramatic windows and pierced roofline of the building's castle-like facade. "Art is a treasure, and these thin but jealous walls
defend it," said Gio Ponti.

Frederic C. Hamilton Building

Continuing a legacy of bold architecture, the DAM commissioned architect Daniel Libeskind to design an expansion that would accommodate our growing collections and
programs. The 146,000-square-foot Hamilton Building, at left in the photo above, opened to the public October 7, 2006.
The Hamilton Building's design recalls the peaks of the Rocky Mountains and geometric rock crystals found in the foothills near Denver. "I was inspired by the light and the
geology of the Rockies, but most of all by the wide-open faces of the people of Denver," says Libeskind. The building is covered in 9,000 titanium panels that reflect the
Colorado sunshine.

North & Hamilton Buildings Audio and Images

Want to find out more about the museum's architecture? Listen to our free audio programs about the Hamilton and North Buildings. You can:

hear architect Daniel Libeskind answer questions about his design for theHamilton Building (6:19, mp3)

learn more about the DAM's first revolutionary piece of architecture: the North Building (7:06, mp3)

folded plate structures by famous architects