Context, Continuity & Change
PRESERVATION AND ADAPTIVE REUSE
Tryba Architects specializes in the preservation and adaptive reuse of iconic urban landmarks including the Historic Daniels & Fisher Tower, built in 1911 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Introduction: Transforming Urban Places
The Essential Role of Preservation in New Urban Architecture by John McIntyre, ANZIA
Denver Union Station and The Crawford Hotel
Mercantile Square
Hotel Teatro
Denver Rock Drill
Fox Park
Clayworks
York Street Yards
Marczyk Fine Foods
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center
Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center
Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church
César E. Chávez Memorial Building
Wellington E. Webb Municipal Building
Park Towne Place
Champa Tower
The Draper GoSpotCheck Headquarters
TRYBA ARCHITECTS
Transforming Urban Places
Specializing in an integrated approach to design at all scales, from visionary master planning to adaptive reuse and the creation of contemporary civic landmarks, the work of Tryba Architects integrates contextual, iconic and sustainable design that promotes connection and enriches the built and natural environments.
Through our principle-driven design approach, we build consensus around a set of guiding principles which address the fundamentals of architecture and placemaking with multivalent project-specific responses. Highly diverse in form, typology and scale, our work is united by craft, elegance, rigor and civic impact.
BUELL THEATER AT DENVER PERFORMING ARTS COMPLEX, DENVER, CO
DENVER UNION STATION, DENVER, CO
ARCHITECT’S STUDIO AT FISHER MANSION, DENVER, CO
PRESERVATION AND ADAPTIVE REUSE
Rebirth of Iconic Civic Structures
For 35 years the work of Tryba Architects has balanced the principles of context, continuity and change to achieve a vital sense of resonance with both past and present; at once deeply connected to the history and character of place while carrying a refreshing vibrancy and relevance for the future.
From the preservation and restoration of icons like Denver Union Station and the Daniels and Fisher Tower, to contemporary, contextual new additions to historic structures such as the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, a substantial portion of Tryba’s award-winning portfolio includes the rebirth and revitalization of landmark structures and places.
GoSpotCheck Headquarters, Denver, Colorado
The Essential Role of Preservation in New Urban Architecture
John McIntyre, ANZIA
New construction is a strong sign of economic growth, a vital pathway to the density necessary to house our increasingly urbanized population and an opportunity to explore more artful, innovative and sustainable building technologies. As new construction rapidly reshapes our cities it is critical to strengthen the relationship between new development and the existing context and to re-examine the condition of existing buildings to ensure their relevance for the future. Successful urbanism must recognize the inherent social, economic and environmental benefits of preservation, adaptive reuse and repositioning in activating our urban fabric, connecting us deeply to place, and providing continuity between the past, present and future.
Our practice has deep roots in the complex work of historic preservation and adaptive reuse. For over 30 years we have focused on the stewardship of our city’s historic fabric and on the thoughtful and innovative integration of new buildings and uses into historic contexts. This work balances continuity with change—recognizing the existing context should be understood, respected, emphasized and enhanced while acknowledging the role of contrast and differentiation in bringing new vitality to
projects that must respond with clarity to the needs of the future. Our interdisciplinary design process is informed directly by our experience with historic buildings, and we have a deep belief that the methodology and value proposition of preservation applies directly to the creation of new urban architecture.
CONTINUITY
Modernist architecture and planning emerged in direct reaction to the historicist approaches of previous generations, through a desire to solve the social and health issues resulting from the radical acceleration of urbanization and industry through the 19th Century, and through artists and architects who demanded a cultural expression that reflected the spirit of the emerging new world. While in many ways admirable, at its most radical Modernism proposed a complete severance with history that established a false dichotomy of old versus new and modern versus historic. This attitude provided the cultural framework for highly destructive practices such as urban renewal, where large tracts of intact historic fabric within our Cities were demolished to make way for surface parking lots and supposed new high-rise construction.
MERCANTILE SQUARE
Lined with activated retail and spanned by a pedestrian footbridge, a twenty-four foot wide pedestrian alley serves as a gateway to Mercantile Square.
(Tryba Architects)
At Tryba our work is a redirection of this modernist thesis that recognizes the critical importance of continuity with the past in the fabric of our cities and in our social and cultural lives. Our intent is to provide highly crafted buildings and places that resonate with their context, elevate their neighbors and provide a healthy and restorative backdrop for contemporary life. Successful urbanism must link past and future, amplifying specific conditions of site and place, operating with a clear understanding of social, cultural and political context, and with an awareness of people’s attachment to existing structures and places and the memories they contain.
Lessons learned through our work with historic buildings drive our design approach to architecture, interiors and urbanism. A highly integrated approach to landscape, the use of local materials, craft and detail, ornament and pattern, depth and relief, proportion and geometry, the contrast of frame and plane, solid and transparent, heavy and light, are all principles we use to
create dynamic environments that resonate with those of the past while providing a new vision for architecture and urbanism that is enduring, sustaining and a clear reflection of contemporary life and values. Culture, at its essence, is an ongoing conversation that has continued for thousands of years and in which we are all invited to participate. When we take the time to understand what has been said – our history and context – we can then participate in the conversation from an informed perspective and in bold new ways.
SUSTAINABILITY
There is real urgency required to address the issue of climate change and shifts in global temperature that threaten our coastal cities, our food and water sources and the broader natural ecosystems within which we live. The Brookings Institute forecasts that 82 billion square feet of existing buildings in the United States will be demolished and replaced between 2005 and 2030 – roughly one-quarter of today’s existing building stock. In the US alone nearly 40% of greenhouse
WELLINGTON E. WEBB MUNICIPAL BUILDING
The massing of the 2001 Wellington E. Webb Municipal Building tower reflects and interlocks with the 1960 Adam’s Mark Hotel designed by I.M. Pei.
(Tryba Architects)
Denver Union Station’s revitalization and restoration included upgrading systems and fixtures and incorporating retail and restaurants into an historic train depot.
gas emissions can be attributed to carbon produced by buildings during construction and everyday operations. Embodied carbon from construction represents around 30% of this impact. While much environmental policy has focused on operational carbon impacts it is critical that we also address embodied carbon and the impact of a more considered and calculated approach to material selection, re-use and recycling.
Adaptive reuse is a fundamental pillar of our practice sustainability strategy and a key driver in our goal to meet the aspirations of the AIA 2030 Commitment. Our work in this regard extends from the preservation of buildings of deep historic significance to the repositioning of more recently constructed office buildings and the reinvention of industrial brownfield sites and structures. We believe fundamentally that each site and structure has a narrative to be discovered and strengthened through design. New developments anchored with existing buildings build on the investment in energy, capital and craft made by previous generations. In many cases reusing existing buildings avoids additional carbon production, thereby reducing greenhouse gases contributing to climate change and offering an important means for cities to achieve
their immediate carbon reduction goals.
This is not just an issue of environmental sustainability. Existing buildings also provide a vital component of the economic and social ecosystem of the city. Historic preservation may provide access to alternate means of funding through grants and tax credits that for many of our projects are a critical lever in pro-forma performance. The natural constraints of older buildings often lead to opportunities for lower rent space giving smaller companies a place to land and grow and providing opportunities to maintain equity and accessibility in the context of continuing gentrification. Critically, retaining existing buildings and urban fabric can also mean less disruption to existing neighborhoods, and a stronger sense of continuity with the cultural history of place. This focus on a triple bottom line approach to environmental, social and financial sustainability is at the core of our practice values.
RELEVANCE
In its most extreme interpretation, the practice of preservation can freeze buildings in time; creating museum-like environments encountered as exhibits and often
DENVER UNION STATION
(Tryba Architects)
disconnected from the everyday life of the city. Very few moments require this degree of memorialization and as important as it is to rehabilitate and adaptively use historic buildings, we know that we cannot preserve them in isolation – not from one another and not from the rest of the city. True success in the retention of existing buildings – historic or not – depends on their full and natural integration with the surrounding urban context and with a clear sense of their relevance and role as a framework for contemporary life.
The work of tuning historic buildings for these requirements can be challenging and difficult. It often requires complex negotiations for approvals from local, state and federal groups that hold exacting standards for the processes of preservation and rehabilitation. It may entail practices of deconstruction or alteration that –on first glance – can appear bold. It is critical to carry out this work with a deep understanding of the formal and material approaches of the past and a clear vision of the original intent and principles of the design. As a practice we rely heavily on our civic legacy of built work and our long history of stewardship of historic assets to build trust and consensus for difficult but appropriate transformations.
The definition of historic significance is complex and continues to expand and adjust through the passage of time, a deeper awareness of our diverse cultural and social histories and a growing appreciation for the modernist buildings of the late 20th Century. The significant investment made in arts, cultural, civic and institutional architecture from the 50s to the 70s provides rich territory for adaptive reuse and repositioning as these buildings seek new relevance in the face of changing attitudes around art, culture, performance and civic life. It is critical that a new level of strategic investment is made in these cultural assets as they continue to anchor the life of the cities and populations they represent.
The reinvention of industrial buildings and sites provides another critical focus for our practice as we seek to densify and enhance our cities through the redevelopment of land that often lies adjacent our downtowns, rivers and rail networks. Retaining and strengthening the existing character of these sites provides the opportunity for a strong experiential quality of place anchored within the American history of industry and production but connected to new narratives and economies of nature, health, technology, experimentation and innovation.
FOX PARK View across the Great Lawn to Fox Square, a vibrant new cultural center.
(Tryba Architects)
COLORADO SPRINGS FINE ARTS CENTER
The prominent feature of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center addition is a glass-enclosed corridor extending eastward along the southern edge of the interior courtyard, linking the extensive permanent collection galleries to new spaces dedicated to large traveling exhibitions.
A growing body of work is focused on the repositioning of residential and office buildings constructed within the last 30 years. In this space a new sense of hospitality and comfort, a focus on connections to nature and the outdoors and growing research linking health and wellness to increased productivity and retention drives the rethinking of arrival and entry sequences, work place and apartment environments and enhanced building amenities. These efforts will accelerate as we emerge from the current pandemic and in the face of rising construction costs, enhanced sustainability goals and increasing market competition look to raise the value and relevance of our existing building stock.
At their best historic preservation and adaptive reuse projects achieve a vital sense of resonance with both past and present. A vibration or oscillation of multiple readings that is at once deeply connected to the history and character of a place but also carries a refreshing sense of vibrancy and relevance for the future. Through the principle of complementary contrast our work aims to enhance the clarity and strength of expression of existing buildings or contexts while complementing them with innovative
new insertions that are at once sensitive and bold. Our experiences in preservation and adaptive reuse have fundamentally shaped our approach to creating new architecture and urbanism that is connected deeply to place and context. This work must balance respect and innovation to ensure that these places and structures are elevated and strengthened as historic artifacts, achieve new levels of environmental, social, and financial performance, are deeply connected to nature and landscape, and are elegantly fit for their contemporary and future purpose.
(Tryba Architects)
Mixed Use
Unlocking Value through Placemaking
Successful places balance natural resources, transportation, landscape and sustainable urban growth with the economic opportunities of the marketplace.
Collaborating with a broad range of private clients, institutions and community partners, we design elegantly practical and cohesive master plans that create value and place, and are highly responsive to their natural and urban context.
Our goal in each project is to realize the inherent potential of a site, connect with the community and create an enhanced sense of place.
Denver, CO
Denver Union Station & The Crawford Hotel
Restored station becomes the West’s premier transit hub
One hundred years after the original Grand Opening, a revitalized, restored and reinvigorated Denver Union Station reopened its doors, solidifying its position as the region’s premier multi-modal transit hub.
The design team was charged with fitting a hotel, including upgraded systems, fixtures, retail and restaurants, into the historic train depot. The depot’s Great Hall is both the hotel lobby and the central station for the multi-modal transit hub, integrating light and commuter rail, Amtrak, regional and local bus, taxi, bikes and pedestrians.
BEFORE
The grand central space had fallen into disuse. Long, blank perimeter walls did little to activate the space and flat fluorescent lighting panels overhead lent a perfunctory feel.
The new Great Hall is at once grand and comfortable. A variety of seating groups are surrounded by new storefronts offering an array of destination shopping and dining options.
THE GREAT HALL— ”DENVER’S LIVING ROOM”
Inspiration for the 12,000-square-foot Great Hall’s design came from the building’s rich history as well as a vision for creating “Denver’s Living Room”— a space that welcomes travelers, visitors and hotel guests at all hours, 365 days a year. Soaring ceilings are accented by monumental lighting fixtures and brightened by a soft white color scheme.
CLIENT Union Station Alliance
SIZE
153,000 SF
112 keys
SCOPE OF WORK
Architecture
Master Planning
Historic Preservation
Interior Design
Experiential Design
Entitlements
The Great Hall serves as the hotel lobby and the central station for the region’s multi-modal transit hub.
The Cooper Lounge is a revenue-generating destination on the mezzanine.
BEFORE
Dark and drab interiors had not changed since the 1960s.
The Station's revitalization and restoration included upgrading systems and fixtures and incorporating retail and restaurants into the historic train depot.
New retail storefronts bring light, activity and a new architectural integrity to the Great Hall.
Former coal storage and mechanical space in the basement.
New concourse, bar and conference center.
The existing building was carefully restored to enhance its key historic features.
The timeless, contemporary, and elegant guest rooms are inspired by the building’s Victorian era origins.
The Pullman guest rooms on the new Mezzanine Level evoke train travel in its heyday with a subtle nod to Art Deco.
The Station’s century-old structure contributes to the unique character of 32 guest rooms in the formerly unoccupied attic space.
The Loft rooms in the former attic feature exposed wood timbers, vaulted ceilings, modern art and luxuriously appointed bathrooms. The addition of the mezzanine and reconfiguration of the attic is key to the financial viability of the Crawford Hotel.
Luxurious bathrooms are fully integrated with historic structure.
Mercantile Square
Denver, CO
Transformation of six historic warehouses on a single block sparks redevelopment in LoDo
A new mixed-use neighborhood center along the 16th Street Mall between Wazee and Wynkoop Streets, Mercantile Square contributes to the continuing development of Denver’s Historic Lower Downtown District. The six masonry buildings that comprise Mercantile Square date from the late 1800s and turn of the century, encompassing 250,000 square feet and serving as a town center for the neighborhood. The restoration and adaptive reuse of the buildings ties the area’s varied historic past with the needs of the present.
CLIENTS
Coughlin & Company
Joyce Meskis
John Hickenlooper
SIZE
264,000 SF
98 Residential Units
74 below-grade parking spaces
SCOPE OF WORK
Architecture
Historic Preservation
Interior Design
Community Roof Deck on Connecting Bridge over Alley
Activated Alley with Wine Shop, Cafe, Outdoor Seating
Deteriorating facade and limited street-level activity.
Residential lofts, street-level retail with outdoor seating, and below-grade parking entrance. BEFORE AFTER
Lined with activated retail and spanned by a pedestrian footbridge, a twenty-four foot wide pedestrian alley serves as a gateway to the development. This urban revitalization project was the first multi-building mixed use adaptive redevelopment in Lower Downtown—the catalyst for reinvestment in and preservation of today’s revitalized historic district.
Underutilized and neglected alley.
Activated pedestrian alley with new street-level retail.
Hotel Teatro
Denver, CO
Luxury hotel as the cornerstone of Denver’s Theatre District
BEFORE
CLIENTS
Michael Brenneman
Jeff
Selby
SIZE
88,000 SF
110 keys
SCOPE OF WORK
Architecture
Historic Preservation
Interior Design
Working within the technical preservation guidelines established by the Colorado Historical Society and the National Park Service, Tryba Architects completed the adaptive re-use of a national landmark and local Denver treasure, the 8-story Tramway Building. The building was gutted to its structural core and columns, every wall removed and a new penthouse floor was added to create the new 9-story Hotel Teatro. The historic main lobby and the marble-paved corridors throughout the building were carefully restored to their former grandeur. Formal and casual dining and meeting rooms flank the main lobby, and the lower floor houses a wine cellar and fitness center.
The historic Tramway Building.
The building was gutted to its structural core and columns, every wall removed.
Hotel rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows with city views.
The traditional Renaissance Revivalstyle edifice was restored and preserved.
Denver
Denver, CO
Rock Drill
New life for a historically significant center of international industrial innovation
Tryba Architects is currently re-imagining this historic industrial site as a mixed-use community with contemporary workplaces, artists’ studios, apartments, hotel, condominiums, food and beverage production facilities, restaurants and retail.
CLIENT
Weiss Family
Saunders Development
SIZE
12 acres
SCOPE OF WORK
Architecture
Master Planning
Historic Preservation
Interior Design
Experiential Design
BEFORE
Denver Rock Drill is a collection of buildings linked by a series of lanes, rail spurs and courtyards.
This project provides the opportunity to retain and reactivate over 30 warehouse and manufacturing buildings that reflect the authentic industrial heritage of the RiNo district.
Interior lanes closed to public use.
Reconditioned lanes provide access to the center of the campus.
Large open plate space with sawtooth north lights provide a calm and consistent quality of indirect light.
With the opening of the RTD University of Colorado A Line linking Union Station and Denver International Airport, the site enjoys a new level of local, regional and international connectivity within Denver’s much heralded Corridor of Opportunity.
Mezzanine insertions and reconditioned interiors will serve as creative workplaces.
Fox Park
A new urban hilltop community integrating open space, culture and commerce
BEFORE
The 320,000 SF former Denver Post printing facility is being revitalized and repurposed to serve as a community hub for the neighborhood.
ADAPTIVE REUSE OF EXISTING PRINTING PLANT
Centered around transformative industrial reclamation, a cohesive urban landscape will bring together next-generation workspaces, a boutique hotel, retail and residential spaces and urban agriculture, creating a diverse community.
The project converts an existing four-story newspaper warehouse into the innovative new World Trade Center Denver, a dynamic hub for international commerce and culture.
An open marketplace featuring craft maker retail, collaborative workspaces and office.
A NEW COMMUNITY CENTER
A cohesive urban landscape will bring together next-generation workspaces, a boutique hotel, retail and residential spaces and urban agriculture, creating a diverse community fueled by transformative industrial reclamation. At its heart, a vibrant new center will provide space for community learning, health and fitness, arts and entertainment, innovation and fabrication.
World Trade Center Complex
Hotel
COMPLETE MULTI-LEVEL INTEGRATION
Terraced into the hillside, a vertically integrated public realm consolidates parking and service below grade. This infrastructure reveals the ecology of Fox Park—water, energy and waste— making it legible to people of all ages.
A NEW CONNECTED URBAN HILLTOP PARK
Positioned at the intersection of I-25 and I-70, Fox Park will be a new gateway to the city and Rocky Mountain Region. A quarter mile from 41st and Fox Station, Fox Park is one stop away from Denver Union Station and the entire regional transportation network. Fourteen acres of interconnected parks and open space integrate culture, community and innovation to create unparalleled opportunities for growth.
CLIENT VITA
Pure Development
SIZE
41 acres
SCOPE OF WORK
Master Planning
Entitlements
Architecture
Experiential Design
Clayworks Master Plan
Golden, CO
A reimagined mixed-use district connected to the Colorado outdoors
Redevelopment of the former CoorsTek industrial site presents a significant opportunity to enhance the core of Golden with a catalytic mixed-use district of significant scale and quality. With a focus on sustainability, Clayworks will comprise both new-build and adaptive reuse components.
The site will be structured around a highquality public realm and designed to connect strongly to nature and the Golden context, while reflecting the civic legacy and values of the Coors family and their cluster of companies.
Clay kilns and other industrial features evoke the site's history.
CoorsTek's new global headquarters will be an anchor tenant within the mixed-use district. Building upon the site’s unique industrial character and history, the project will offer a dynamic new destination that complements Golden’s active outdoor lifestyle.
GOLDEN FREEWAY
WASHINGTON AVENUE
Environmental sustainability, biophilic design, and connections to trails will promote health and wellness.
10TH STREET
Clayworks will integrate multi-modal connectivity with spaces for innovation and discovery.
The new CoorsTek headquarters is thoughtfully integrated with the Golden landscape and incorporates a high level of sustainability measures.
The project integrates new structures with adaptive reuse of historic fabric, retaining a cultural memory of place for residents and employees and providing measurable benefits in embodied energy.
COORSTEK CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS
CoorsTek’s global headquarters, temporarily located a few miles away, will return to the site with a new office building that features an iconic 84-foot tower reminiscent of the company’s former “Silo” industrial building. The new Phase 1 headquarters will integrate the adaptive reuse of portions of historic buildings dating back to the early 1900s that will create an authentic connection to the heritage of innovation and industry on the site.
Denver, CO
York Street Yards
Adaptive reuse of former supply depot creates new ‘urban flex’ space
CLIENT
SIZE
550,000 SF; 32 acres
SCOPE OF WORK
Lead Design Architect and Architect of Record
ScanlanKemperBard (SKB)
York Street Yards brings new vitality to Northeast Denver’s Clayton Neighborhood. The creative mixed-use commercial district reuses the historic brick buildings of the former Denver Medical Depot, re-imagined for contemporary manufacturing and local small businesses and retailers.
A section of the buildings was cut away to introduce a new plaza opening onto the adjacent greenway.
The site’s WWII-era brick buildings, originally designed by architect Temple Buell, have been transformed into modern, flexible spaces that can accommodate a variety of uses. Tryba’s design re-introduced cohesiveness to the buildingswhich had been altered piecemeal over the years - and sensitively opened the buildings to connect with the adjacent 39th Avenue Greenway.
Denver Medical Depot was built in 1942 to distribute medical supplies to the US Army.
Denver, CO
Marczyk Fine Foods
Abandoned hardware store re-purposed into neighborhood market and gathering place
BEFORE
The vacant Fairfax Hardware store.
Vibrant neighborhood markets are part of the fabric of great cities. Built in 1925 as a Safeway store, the one-story brick building at the southeast corner of Colfax and Fairfax Street was Fairfax Hardware until 2005. Paul and Pete Marczyk bought the vacant property in 2011, taking the structure down to bare walls to construct a new food market and adjacent wine shop.
Full glass front windows animate the once obsolete, shuttered eyesore.
Generic drop ceiling with fluorescent lighting hides original ceiling structure.
CLIENT Marczyk Fine Foods
SIZE
6500 SF
SCOPE OF WORK
Architecture
Interior Design
Reclaiming existing materials, the original bow truss timber ceiling was restored.
The now bustling local market provides fresh produce, fine meats and gourmet ingredients. Thoughtful landscaping provides parking and ample space where the local community comes together for one of summer’s best events: Burger Night—every Friday!
Civic and Cultural
CIVIC AND CULTURAL
Strengthening Regional and National Institutions
We partner with museums and galleries, performing arts organizations, media centers and botanical gardens to strengthen operational efficiency and transform visitor experience. Our work alongside national, state and local institutions has supported a new generation of sustainable civic buildings with the latest technology and enhanced spaces for public engagement.
Our collective goal—through strategic and innovative planning, design, public dialogue, and fundraising support—is to realize the ambitions of institutions and elevate their significance to the communities they serve.
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College
Colorado Springs, CO
Profound juxtaposition of contemporary architecture against the eternal landscape
The original Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, designed in 1936 by New Mexico architect John Gaw Meem, is considered one of Colorado’s ten most significant buildings and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The program for Tryba Architects’ expansion and renovation called for restoration to all public spaces and galleries and the addition of 66,000 SF of new permanent and temporary exhibition space, public meeting and event spaces, classrooms, artist studios, storage, and a restaurant and café. The building emerged as a carefully choreographed ballet of contrasts: between the old and the new; the earth and the sky; solid and void; concrete and glass; sun and shade.
CLIENT
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center
SIZE
132,000 SF
SCOPE OF WORK
Architect of Record
Historic Preservation
Interior Design
Proper attention to natural lighting—and protection—allows artwork to come alive in the galleries.
New 66,000 sf addition
New central courtyard
1972 addition facades remain
Historic 1936
John Gaw Meem building
STEWART FIELD
WASHBURN FIELD
RESIDENCE HALLS
EAST LAWN
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center establishes a gateway to the campus from the Central Business District to the South
New double-height event gallery, integrated with topography, linking old and new.
Interconnected light-filled circulation and revenue generating event space.
View within the courtyard looking east toward the new entrance hall.
Active galleries for artwork and educational programming.
Tryba's work helped elevate the stature of one of our Nation's most important collections of early 20th century Southwestern art.
Buck Blessing, Former Chairman of the Board of Directors Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center
(Left) The central Courtyard has become a center of social life in Colorado Springs, serving as an outdoor sculpture garden and event space.
Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center
Birmingham, MI
Gallery spaces receive natural daylight with views of surrounding gardens.
Galleries and exhibit rooms connect with seamless circulation surrounded by the original venting stack.
When the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center grew to require additional space for galleries and classrooms, the director and board commissioned Tryba Architects to adapt and expand a WPAera underground wastewater treatment plant.
The 1,500 SF Art Deco pump and administration building features glazed brick, glass block and a 75-foot brick-venting stack. The challenge was to add more than 25,000 SF of space that respected the character of the original building.
The sustainable design includes nine former underground water treatment and settling tanks, re-adapted as the foundation for new art studios and galleries. Converting and re-using the tanks, instead of removing them, saved twenty percent of the total project cost.
Tryba Architects also developed a master plan for the surrounding five wooded acres. The project included the addition of studios for teaching, two galleries, a lecture hall and the renovation of the administrative offices.
Phase
Smoke stacks vent ceramic studio kilns.
Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church
Denver, CO
Historic preservation and new construction breathe new life into century-old spiritual home
As part of the improvements to Westminster Commons, a new second floor space is enclosed by a glazed façade—the Lantern—that brings new light and life to the Dahlia Street entry. Elevating the surface of the existing entry court, new stone paving and planters create an elegant, fresh and welcoming address for the church.
For more than 120 years, Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church has been a prominent landmark and community cornerstone in Denver’s historic Park Hill neighborhood. Over time the campus footprint has adjusted to the needs of a twenty-first century congregation, while remaining true to its history.
Refurbished windows and stucco of the Education Wing, new stone paving and greater accessibility improve the quality of the narrow lane-like space. A new glazed façade to Westminster Commons provides a welcoming lantern-like element at the termination of the entry axis.
In 2018, Tryba Architects led a collaborative process resulting in the Long-Term Campus Vision, a roadmap for restoration and construction decisions over the next 15-20 years. Top priority projects from the Vision were identified and Tryba Architects provided comprehensive support for a successful capital campaign. Guided by the four cornerstones of Beauty & Awe, Stewardship, Connectivity, and Responsiveness, the first phase of the Vision was brought to life in a stunning renovation that renewed and revitalized the aging structure.
CLIENT Montview Boulevard
Presbyterian Church
SIZE
Two-acre urban campus
SCOPE OF WORK
Master Planning
Architecture
Historic Preservation
Interior Design
Experiential Design
Reinventing the Westminster Commons as a new doubleheight space reveals views of the adjacent main sanctuary and establishing a new light-filled second level connection to the choir loft. Connection to the elevator adds new accessibility for the choir loft and adds a new seating area.
The Miller Center was converted into a flexible, dynamic space for services, educational programs and performances. Careful restoration of historic wood paneling and windows, lighting upgrades, and refinishing of the pews elevate the interior experience of this historic sanctuary space.
The Miller Center now opens up into the Library and Heritage Center. Library storage shelves and heritage displays are organized into a long linear wall element fronting the Miller Center, defining the character of this historic space.
New and enhanced spaces honor the artistry and heritage of Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church.
César E. Chávez Memorial Building
Denver, CO
Sustainability
Seven federal agencies, including the GSA, occupied the original “Colonnade Center” building for nearly thirty years before undertaking a major modernization. The design team transformed the tired and imposing office building into an inviting space that expresses the federal government’s commitment to sustainable building, improved public visibility and community interaction.
The parking garage is a seven-level, six-story, 296-stall, cast-in-place post-tensioned structure.
An innovative, sculptural photovoltaics system covers the top level, producing 115-kW hours of electricity, offsetting energy consumption and reducing hot water grid energy by thirty percent.
Transforming the outdated and imposing federal office building into an inviting and secure place.
View of modernized building from across Speer Boulevard, Cherry Creek and Cherry Creek Bike and Pedestrian Trail.
Operationally and functionally obsolete, the 1984 GSA office building and adjacent concrete parking structure failed to reflect the revitalization occurring downtown.
A collaborative and innovative exterior design approach allowed the building to remain fully occupied throughout sixteen months of construction. The security-hardened building envelope is designed for a 100-year lifespan. The outdoor plaza and garden, early childhood center and café offer comfort and livability to tenants, visitors and the neighborhood.
CLIENT
General Services Administration (GSA)
SIZE
179,000 SF; 296 Structured Parking Spaces
SCOPE OF WORK
Architecture
Interior Design
Entitlements
The outdoor plaza and garden, early childhood center and café engage tenants, visitors and adjacent mixed-use neighborhoods.
The new aluminum and glass curtain wall system reduces energy consumption by thirty percent, enhancing natural light and interior views. The project includes local recycled materials including steel, and terrazzo made from local beer bottles.
Connections to the neighborhood are integrated into the building’s design, including repositioned public art and sculptures by Mexican artist Sebastián.
Designed to create a welcoming experience while meeting security requirements, the lobby incorporates local Colorado Yule marble in the columns and a glass grand stair connecting the ground and second floors.
Wellington E. Webb Municipal Building
Denver, CO
Connecting the urban fabric to historic Civic Center Park
The 12-story modernist tower addition sits on a base of limestone and granite and compliments the adjacent neoclassical structures in Denver’s Civic Center in scale and form.
The Wellington E. Webb Building links the civic structures to the South and the commercial developments to the North through careful application of scale, form, material and view corridors. The twelve-story tower is connected by a four-story atrium, integrating the modern structure with the existing Mid-Century Modern structure.
The buildings are served by a four-story below grade parking garage with 572 spaces that spans both the atrium and plaza. The garage required secure access from all sides and permanent de-watering systems.
Public art is visible throughout the building, as well as in its exterior park and plazas.
CLIENT City and County of Denver
SIZE
680,000 SF
572 Below-Grade
Parking Spaces
SCOPE OF WORK
Architect of Record
Master Planning
Entitlements
Interior Design
Experiential Design
Public art is fully integrated throughout the site. A translucent glass curtain-wall brings in natural light and views, enhancing productivity and wellbeing in the workplace.
An inclusive meeting place for City Building, this design/build project united forty-five City agencies. The project was completed in phases and delivered under budget and two months ahead of schedule.
The building facilitates communication and engagement between the public and private sectors.
A grand staircase and four-story Atrium with an integrated art program offer visitors and the 2,000 city employees light-filled space appropriate for special events and informal meetings.
A monumental stone inscription inspires visitors and staff to reflect on the civic impact of the numerous daily interactions at the Wellington E. Webb Municipal Building.
Residential
TRANSFORMATION OF EXISTING WAREHOUSE BUILDINGS INTO MERCANTILE SQUARE LOFTS
Coming Home
Distinctive, elegant and functional places for living are woven into the urban fabric, fully integrated into daily life and cornerstones of a community.
Collaborating with residential and institutional developers, we create thoughtfully choreographed spaces, balancing public and private areas, supporting contemporary lifestyles and elevating the experience of “home.”
Integrated art programs and gallery spaces reflect the cultural fabric of the neighborhoods and individuals’ unique collections.
Park Towne Place
Philadelphia, PA
Artful transformation of a historic mid-century community
The Site and Tower Lobbies feature Park Towne’s permanent art collection in addition to rotating exhibits organized through partnership with a curated collections group.
Park Towne Place Museum District Residences are once again among the premier multi-family communities in Center City Philadelphia. Composed of four 18-story towers arranged around a Great Lawn, the property is the first mid-century modern multi-family community in Pennsylvania to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Integration of a diverse art program was central to the successful redevelopment of Park Towne Place. Art was installed in three categories: a permanent collection, a rotating collection through partnerships with local institutions and distinct sets of art themes in resident corridors that focus on American and Philadelphia artists.
CLIENT Aimco
SIZE
948 Apartment Units
600 Below Grade
Parking Spaces
SCOPE OF WORK
Architecture
Historic Preservation
Interior Design
Branding
Experiential Design
Entitlements
Commissioned large-scale site sculptures reconnect Park Towne Place with the cultural fabric of the Museum District.
Preservation, design intervention, and significant reprogramming have transformed the residential campus into a vibrant community. Major interventions included restoration of the building envelope, new openings and circulation paths, complete restoration of the 600-space underground parking structure, re-imagined amenities including a 20,000 SF retail center with a food market, and fully renovated and reconfigured living spaces reoriented toward city and river views.
DURING
The new central stair and skylight, seen here during construction, link amenities with below grade parking.
The insertion of a new central stair and skylight increases circulation between the upper and lower levels and brings new light to a previously dark space at the center of the below-grade parking structure.
and
variety of gathering spaces.
Capitalizing on the unique proximity to some of the country’s most prestigious cultural institutions such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art and The Barnes Foundation, the campus has been reconnected to the Parkway Museums District through its robust art program.
The Towne Center includes a demonstration kitchen
a
Champa Tower
Denver, CO
Champa Tower will stand 50 stories above the Denver skyline
Champa Tower is envisioned as one community with eight distinct neighborhoods tailored to a broad spectrum of lifestyles and offering a full suite of amenities and retail offerings.
Two historic buildings—the Kistler Building and Boston Building—are carefully integrated into the project and provide additional high-end rental lofts.
The 1916 Kistler Building was the place of business for one of Colorado’s leading printers and Stationery retailers from 1916 to 1966.
CLIENT Aimco
SIZE
320 Luxury Apartments
50 Stories
SCOPE OF WORK
Entitlements
Architecture
Interior Design
Historic Preservation
The Draper
Loveland, CO
Distinctive Urban Living on a Historic Main Street
Designed to embrace and enliven a historic downtown Main Street, The Draper strikes a balance between preservation and transformation. Distinctive residences, activated retail and office create a dynamic, uniquely curated block with Rocky Mountain views.
The residential experience enhances and celebrates the historic urban setting, connecting residents to the outdoors and the city and building a vibrant sense of community and place. Meaningful art experiences and encounters with nature are abundant.
The introduction of a new public realm includes activation of an alley, the creation of a new lane and a small courtyard space linking the two. Defined by a strong sense of craft, materiality and discovery, the new open space network reflects the historic pattern of development in downtown Loveland, enhances permeability and connectivity and fosters retail activation.
CLIENT Tribe Development Company
SIZE
108,674 GSF
96 Units
SCOPE OF WORK
Architecture
Historic Preservation
Interior Design
Branding
Experiential Design
A stepped massing strategy enfolds the existing historic buildings at the heart of the site on Fourth Street. Terraces provide opportunities for connection to the outdoors and animate the streetscape.
Workplace
The Future of Workplace
From new office environments to creative repositioning projects, highly integrated and innovative workplaces are vital to the success of every company—critical to creating and fostering culture and growing vibrant regional economies.
Drawing from contextual and environmental influences, we partner with world-class corporate clients to design flexible, healthy and sustainable workplaces that attract and support human capital by creating meaningful connections to nature and place, enhancing productivity and strengthening health and wellbeing.
GoSpotCheck Headquarters
Denver, CO
New addition to the historic Rocky Mountain Seed Building completes street wall in LoDo
The proportions and detailing of the new facade demonstrate the formal relationship between the historic Rocky Mountain Seed Building on the left and the new 1500 Market Street office building on the right.
SIZE
16,000 SF
SCOPE OF WORK
Architect of Record
Interior Design
Entitlements
The GoSpotCheck Headquarters at 1500 Market is a three-story plus top-floor mezzanine addition to the historic Rocky Mountain Seed Building at 1520 Market. The new structure is built on top of an existing below-ground, 24-vehicle parking structure. The architectural design was crafted with intense commitment to the scale and proportion of the surrounding landmark district.
Exposed recycled industrial glulam “heavy timber” and structural steel hybrid system
Standard residential off-the-shelf wood windows
Prefabricated steel facade custom designed by architect
FULLY INTEGRATED HYBRID TIMBER AND STEEL STRUCTURE
Double-pane glass
Aluminum cladding
Built on an underutilized corner in Lower Downtown (LoDo), the new GoSpotCheck Headquarters is an expansion of the neighboring historic Rocky Mountain Seed Building. The project restores a gap in the urban streetscape while contributing to the richness, walkability, and distinctiveness of the downtown community.
The building serves as a lantern, marking an important gateway into the neighborhood.
Ground level flexible co-working and event space offers direct visual connection to surrounding street life and landscape on Market Street.
The industrial contemporary, comfortable and casual aesthetic is characterized by natural light, transparency and warmth, reflecting the company’s startup culture.
Light floods the open concept work areas on the second and third floors, while a mezzanine and balcony on the fourth floor and a flexible co-working and event space on the ground level provide direct visual connection to nature and the streetscape.
The central stair increases circulation between upper and lower levels and brings light to open floor plans.
The Glass Lab
Portland, OR
Former Portland glass factory transformed into a new creative industry hub
The creative space’s industrial theme is expressed upon entry with this large-scale experiential graphic.
Tryba completed the renovation and adaptive reuse of The Glass Lab, a 46,000-square-foot former glass factory in the Portland Innovation Quadrant (Portland IQ). The team collaborated and partnered with Portland-based owner ScanlanKemperBard (SKB) and Lorentz Bruun Construction to turn the vintage twostory industrial building into a community-oriented creative hub for the next generation of creators and innovators. The team’s integrated approach balanced respect for the building’s 1960s warehouse-style architecture with the area’s forward-thinking ethos.
CLIENT ScanlanKemperBard (SKB)
SIZE
46,000 SF
SCOPE OF WORK
Architecture
Interior Design
Branding & Experiential Design
Suites feature storefront glass facing a main hall and lobby area with warm materials and finishes utilizing natural light to create a sense of connectivity that supports collaboration.
The Vault
Denver, CO
Rebirth of one of Denver’s most architecturally significant buildings
Harbor Associates tasked Tryba with repositioning 821 17th Street in Downtown Denver. One of the Four Corners buildings in Denver’s financial and business district, the Ideal Building was originally built in 1907 and was reported to be the first major multi-story building to be built in reinforced concrete west of the Mississippi.
CLIENT
Harbor Associates
SCOPE OF WORK
Architecture
Interior Design
Experiential Design
In November 2017 the building was purchased by Harbor Associates. The building has been rechristened ‘The Vault‘ and is conceived of as a repository of local history, memories and innovations. The upper floors of the building were reintroduced into the market providing fresh, light filled floor plates for a group of carefully selected office tenants. The lower floors are being restored and improved to provide a home for either a market hall retail concept or a marquee anchor office tenant.
The bank interior has been empty and unused for years.
The main hall of the historic bank building will be transformed into a lively food hall for LoDo.
The building lobby was thoughtfully renovated to merge the historic character of the building with a fresh and welcoming new look.
Geometric motifs from the historic bank interior were used to create bold, tire-tread inspired graphics for the new bike room.
The historic bank vault has been maintained through multiple uses.
The historic restroom and lounge area has been reinvented with a new material palette that celebrates the building’s use of geometric patterning and the eponymous vault itself.
VF Corporation Headquarters
Denver, CO
Repositioning an existing office building for a new corporate headquarters
Previously unoccupied roof.
CLIENT
BentallGreenOak
SIZE
80,000 SF
SCOPE OF WORK
Architecture
Interior Design
Experiential Design
Landscape
1551 Wewatta, now VF Corporation Headquarters, is an existing 10-story 300,000 SF Class-A office building constructed in 2003 for the Gates Corporation. Renovations include a new entrance and the expansion of the two-story public space with new all-glass curtain wall system. Interior lobby modifications include a grand stair with auditorium seating, greater security features, visitor amenities, mail room, bike storage and meeting rooms. A new exterior roof deck features a gas fire pit, built-in barbecue grills and catering counters.
New fourth floor roof deck includes raised planting and lawn areas, and roof paver zones.
The workplace is directly connected to nature through the terrace with tree plantings, garden beds, outdoor fire pits and soft but functional lighting throughout.
The new exterior roof deck connects tenants to the bustling streetscape four stories below.
Tryba Architects Studio
Denver, CO
Seamless workplace expansion of a classical landmark
The scale and materiality of the Beaux Arts ballroom facade defines the arrival experience.
CLIENT
Historic Fisher LLC
SIZE
30,500 SF
SCOPE OF WORK
Architect of Record
Historic Preservation
Landscape Architecture
Interior Design
Experiential Design
David and Stephanie Tryba purchased the 1896 William G. Fisher Mansion and adjacent garden-level ballroom in 1997. The elegant sandstone structure, designed by celebrated architect Frank E. Edbrooke, had not served as a residence for decades and the property was in grave disrepair. Following two years of intricate renovation and restoration, the historic mansion became the family’s new home. The new addition, an adaptive reuse of the ballroom, created the 10,500 SF, four-story architectural studio.
The arrival sequence leads to a double-height lobby with an exhibit of urban models.
The four-level studio is connected vertically with openings for natural light, expressed structure and a celebrated connecting stair.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the project juxtaposed classic Beaux Arts design with contemporary elements, repositioning the structure to accommodate the needs of a growing design firm. The studio dramatically illustrates one of the firm’s core skills: the blending of old and new in successful compositions that respect and enhance historic fabric while exploring progressive strategies to promote the reuse and evolution of historic urban structures.
Clear circulation is punctuated with art, light and views to the surrounding urban setting.
Generous glazing provides direct visual access to the studio garden and urban skyline beyond.
The architect’s studio addition included a pre-fabricated steel facade, a contemporary interpretation of the historic mansion’s proportions.
The garden and patio provides a healthy space for impromptu meetings as well as formal events. A meeting and collaboration space on the main floor seamlessly flows to the outdoors while generous windows bring ample natural light to the second and third floors. An outdoor stair connects the upper levels of the studio with the garden below, further integrating the entire workplace with nature and the surrounding urban landscape.
A series of positive outdoor rooms are seamlessly integrated with views to the garden and urban skyline beyond.
The new studio facade introduces a contemporary language of transparency within an historic setting.
Firm Awards
Tryba Architects’ work has been nationally recognized for transforming urban sites, buildings and interiors into fully integrated, vibrant and timeless places.
AIA National Architecture Award
GoSpotCheck Headquarters
American Architecture Award, Chicago Athenaeum
GoSpotCheck Headquarters
25-Year Award, AIA Western Mountain
Mercantile Square
World’s Best Business Hotel, Travel + Leisure Magazine
Hotel Teatro Award of Distinction, AIA Colorado
GoSpotCheck Headquarters
World Architecture News, Transportation Award
Denver Union Station
ULI Global Award for Excellence
Denver Union Station
American Architecture Award, Chicago Athenaeum
The Glass Lab
Firm of the Year, AIA Western Mountain
Tryba Architects Studio
Best Historic Preservation Project, GBCA
Park Towne Place Museum District Residences
Design Excellence, AIA Denver
Tryba Architects Studio
Lifetime Achievement, Colorado Preservation Inc.
David & Stephanie Tryba
