A New Train of Thought: Telluride Depot transforms into the TELLURIDE SCIENCE & INNOVATION CENTER

Renovations at the iconic Telluride Depot are underway as Telluride Science moves forward with its plan to transform the beloved building into the Telluride Science & Innovation Center. With careful restoration, the structure will retain its historic charm while moving into the 21st century with significant energy efficiency improvements and a fully remodeled interior. The revitalized Depot will provide a permanent home for Telluride Science as well as a beautiful gathering space for all of Telluride to enjoy.

Since 1984, Telluride Science has gathered together the brightest minds from around the world to contemplate grand challenges and push forward the boundaries of science. Today, the organization annually hosts nearly 1,400 scientists and engineers from as many as 500 international and domestic scientific institutions, with five Nobel Prize winners among their ranks.

The renovated Depot will enable Telluride Science to expand its offering of science workshops and support a new line of innovation workshops aimed at defining breakthroughs with meaningful impact on society and/or the planet.

“Having a home of our own for a year-round programming space to host both science and innovation workshops will further amplify Telluride’s reputation as a global driver in generating ideas and solutions that address some of society’s and the planet’s most critical challenges,” said Mark Kozak, Executive Director of Telluride Science.

Telluride has long inspired innovation. In the late 1800s, entrepreneurs LL Nunn and George Westinghouse used Nikola Tesla’s discovery of alternating electrical current to make Telluride the first town in the country to be powered by alternating current electric power.

Over the past 38 years, participants in Telluride Science workshops have contributed to significant advances in a vast array of scientific pursuits – from energy, to the environment, to biomedical science. Decades ago, some of the first discussions about the Human Genome Project occurred during a Telluride Science workshop, and in just the past few years, a Telluride Science workshop spawned an entirely new field of science called Physical Genomics. Telluride Science Board Member and part-time Telluride resident Vadim Backman of Northwestern University is a leader in this new pursuit which has the potential to enable the reprogramming of cells to prevent and treat diseases like cancer or Alzheimer’s.

“The impact that we have globally on the advancement of science is really remarkable,” continued Kozak. “We are a force multiplier for scientific productivity because we host scientists from all around the world who brainstorm new ideas and collaboratively look at problems from an interdisciplinary perspective. This collaborative approach generates out-ofthe-box thinking and prompts many new ideas. The scientists then take those novel ideas back to their own teams and make those institutions more productive.”

Telluride Science is known throughout the scientific community for its inclusive and collaborative atmosphere. That ethos paired with Telluride’s inspiring natural landscape has proven to be a particularly potent combination.

“Our scientists consistently comment about the unique Telluride Science workshop experience,” said Managing Director of Telluride Science, Cindy Fusting. “The intimate nature of our workshops is very unusual for scientific gatherings. The scientists appreciate the small group format where unpublished work is openly discussed. Often approaching a particular challenge from different viewpoints and disciplines, our participants are encouraged to ask questions and engage in spirited conversation. Unstructured time spent outside of the classroom is also important. We regularly hear about exciting, novel ideas sparked from conversations along the trail or on the chairlift.”

The successful Telluride Science workshop format is already in use in a few Telluride Innovation workshops. The inaugural Decarbonization of Cement workshop was held in 2021, and a follow-up workshop will be held in March of 2023. Participants are working on a new way to reduce the carbon footprint of the cement-making process. If the cement industry were a country, it would be the third-largest emitter in the world, after China and the USA. Another Innovation workshop, The Future of Industry, Where Today Meets Tomorrow, explores how technical advances in robotics, artificial intelligence, edge computing, generative design and more can help make the manufacturing process more efficient. The Electric Grid of the Future workshop focuses on how to develop a power grid capable of storing and transmitting clean and renewable energy on a grand scale.

Currently, Telluride Science hosts around 60 workshops a year, the majority of them in the summer months, utilizing spaces leased from the Telluride School District. The Telluride Science & Innovation Center will allow for year-round programming and marked expansion of the organization’s science and innovation programming. The Center will also allow for expanded public programming. Traditionally, Telluride Science has hosted Town Talks on Tuesdays in June and July. The new building will create opportunities to host educational talks throughout the year as well as new weekend seminars on exciting public interest topics.

“The Depot has served as a connection to the outside world since 1891 when it was a hub for the Rio Grande Southern Railway. Back then, precious metals were exported from Telluride,” said Annie Carlson, Director of Donor Relations for Telluride Science. “With this project, it will be a community focal point once again, but this time we will be exporting ideas and innovation.”

With an expected build time of 16-18 months, the organization plans to open the doors of the Telluride Science & Innovation Center in the summer of 2024. Former Telluride resident Dylan Henderson, with SALT Architects, has designed the new center, and Werner Catsman of Finbro Construction will lead the renovation.

Once complete, Telluride Science will eagerly welcome the community back to the Depot. Along with public programming through the Telluride Science & Innovation Center, the building will be available to rent for community gatherings, private events, rehearsal dinners, weddings, corporate meetings, and more.

Telluride Science has raised $7.5 of the $12 million needed to fund the building purchase and renovation. To learn more about the Telluride Science & Innovation Center and ways to support it, contact Annie Carlson at annie@telluridescience.org.