Mayor John Hickenlooper, the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs and the Denver Architectural Foundation invite the public to celebrate Denver architects and designers with Doors Open Denver 2009. The theme for Doors Open Denver 2009 is Designing Denver, honoring the contributions of Denver’s own distinguished architects and designers by opening doors representing outstanding examples of their work and style.
On the weekend of April 18 and 19, residents and visitors will have the opportunity to experience Denver’s built environment in a new way—from inside many buildings that are not ordinarily open to the public. Attendees will have access to more than 80 of Denver’s prominent architectural gems and lesser-known treasures. These include corporate offices, mansions, museums, architecture and design studios, hotels, commercial and retail buildings and more.
Find out more after the jump.
Doors Open Denver is a FREE event. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, with Event Headquarters inside Union Station, 1701 Wynkoop.
Participants can experience Doors Open Denver through:
a self-guided tour
an Urban Adventure (self-guided tours tailored to a specific interest or theme)
an Expert Tour (led by architects and historians)
Urban Adventures engage everyone and promote an appreciation of the facilities that comprise Denver’s rich architectural landscape. Titles include:
Denver Icons Recommended by AIA Denver (The American Institute of Architects)
Bicycle Tour of Central Denver
Family Fun
Great Outdoors
Art & Architecture Spaces
Romancing Denver
Churches, Chapels & Temples
Schools
Performance Venues
What Was This Building?
SCFD-funded Organizations – NEW for 2009!
Denver’s Greenest Buildings – NEW for 2009!
One hundred Expert Tours are available in 2009. A sampling of the offerings includes:
Mayan Theatre – NEW for 2009!
Dearly Departed Architects of Denver – NEW for 2009!
Green Tour – NEW for 2009!
Denver After Dark
Auditor Dennis Gallagher's Historic Tour of LoDo
The Denver Pedestrian Precinct with Architect Alan Gass, FAIA
Broadway's "Golden Corridor" Luxury Living & Award-Winning Design
Walk the Talk: A Living, Growing Example of Green Creative Collaboration – NEW for 2009!
Oxford Hotel, Cruise Room, Oxford Club and Spa
Historic City Park Tour
Historic Washington Park Tour
Sage Building Restoration (Formerly Fontius Building) – NEW for 2009!
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
No admission fee is required for Expert Tours; however, participants must pre-register at Event Headquarters on the tour day to reserve a place. Tours have limited capacity, but many tours are offered more than once. Registration is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Only four tickets per person and two tours per day/per person are permitted.
Other activities include:
Colorado Architecture Month, April, 2009
Box City presented by AIA Denver, Saturday, April 18
Platte Valley Trolley - Denver Rail Heritage Society, Saturday, April 18 & Sunday, April 19 – NEW for 2009!
University of Colorado Denver - College of Architecture and Planning Drop-ins, Saturday, April 18 – NEW for 2009!
Denver Story Trek Bike Tours, Saturday, April 18 & Sunday, April 19
Event guides will be distributed to 195,000 households through the April 10 edition of The Denver Post. Guides will also be available at Event Headquarters in Union Station on event weekend, at each participating site, kiosks along the 16th St. Mall and tourist information centers.
For complete information on Doors Open Denver 2009, please visit www.DenverGov.org/DoorsOpenDenver.
