Populus

Location
Denver, CO

Status
Under Construction

Client
Urban Villages

Type
Hotel

Size
135,000 sf / 159 ft / 13 stories
265 hotel rooms

Sustainability
Targeting LEED Gold

Opening itself to the city and to the Rocky Mountains beyond, Populus is designed to become an energetic new social center in downtown Denver. Located on a prominent corner site, the building greets the neighborhood equally on all three sides, welcoming visitors and residents and connecting Denver’s civic, arts, and commercial districts.

At the building’s base, the windows grow up to 30 feet in height to frame entrances and views into the lobby, restaurant, and amenity spaces.

The texture and rhythm of its sculptural façade is strongly tied to the building’s hotel function. Each vertical scallop is the width of a guest room, and its windows change in size in response to the character of the building’s public and private spaces.

Upon entering their rooms, hotel guests are greeted with immersive views of the nearby State Capitol and Civic Center Park and the mountains beyond through the generous windows. In some rooms, the windows also become occupiable, transforming into seating that brings guests closer to the outdoors. The distinctive window shapes are informed by studying the characteristic patterns found on Aspen trees (Populus tremuloides). As the trees grow, they shed their lower branches, leaving behind dark, eye-shaped marks on the papery bark of their trunks.

This unrolled elevation reveals the variety of window modules that work together to create Populus' iconic facade, from dramatic ground level arches to smaller openings that offer glimpses of the city.

The windows’ distinctive shape is informed by the growth process of aspen trees, an instantly recognizable symbol of Colorado.

Window "lids" are tuned to provide shade to guests and channel rainwater off the façade, which uses low-carbon concrete.

The windows are further detailed to perform efficiently in the Denver climate. On the exterior, the “lids” of each window stretch outward according to solar orientation to shade the interior, while also neatly channeling rainwater to keep the façade looking fresh over time.

At the building’s base, the windows are the scale of portals 30 feet in height, framing entrances and views into the lobby, restaurant, and amenity spaces. Deepening the building’s commitment to sustainability, Populus is the first development downtown to have no onsite parking—encouraging visitors and guests toward greener modes of transport. A roof terrace planted with regional vegetation offers extensive views at the building’s top, providing a lush place to socialize and attractive habitat for local wildlife and insects.

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Occupiable windows create unique, light-filled spaces for relaxing and working

A green roof terrace animates the top of Populus, providing a perch for guests and visitors to enjoy sweeping views of Denver.

Consultant Team

Studio NYL, structural engineer

Wildman Chalmers Design, interior design

Fowler + Fowler Architecture & Design, interior architect

Superbloom, landscape architect for green roof

Kimley-Horn, civil engineer

WSP, MEP/FP engineer (in concept) and sustainability consultant

Klok Group, MEP/FP engineer

Arup, acoustic engineer

LS Group, lighting consultant

Lerch Bates, vertical transportation consultant

Advanced Consulting Engineers, code consultant

The Beck Group, general contractor

Pique Technologies, IT/AV design consultant

Next Step Design, food service consultant

With its bold facade and inviting arched entrances on each side, Populus establishes a lively and welcoming new destination in downtown Denver.

Related

Now

Studio Gang Designs Vibrant New Social Center in Downtown Denver

Opening itself to the city and to the Rocky Mountains beyond, Populus greets the neighborhood equally on all three sides, welcoming visitors and residents and connecting Denver’s civic, arts, and commercial districts.

Now

Colorado Real Estate Journal — "Populus: A New Hub for Social and Civic Life in Denver"

"At the intersection of Colfax Avenue, 14th Street and Court Place lies a triangular parcel that most pedestrians and motorists likely pass by without a glance. Though it may be inconspicuous today, the site’s unique location – across the street from the Denver City and County Building and Civic Center Park and blocks away from the Colorado Convention Center and 16th Street Mall – gives it enormous potential to become a new connective hub for downtown."

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