| World Renown Architect Santiago Calatrava Meets DIA |
| Posted: July 08, 2009 | |||
 Santiago Calatrava's Milwuakee Art Museum Extension - photo by Ken Hamel/DenverArts.org Denver, already home to a trio of iconic museums from internationally acclaimed architects Gio Ponti (DAM's "North" aka Ponti Building), Daniel Libeskind (DAM's Hamilton Wing) and David Adjaye (MCA Denver) is about to get another world class structure from heavy hitter Santiago Calatrava, the signature architect of Parsons Transportation Group. Parsons is the architectural firm recently selected to complete Denver International Airport's $160 million, 7 year South Terminal Redevelopment Program slated for the area directly south of the main terminal and serving up a new Westin Hotel, the long awaited DIA FasTracks station, an open-air plaza above the station, and an expansion of levels 5 and 6 of the terminal. Calatrava is a master of more than just the bold steel and cable elements that distinguish his style: he also blends intricate design seamlessly into the rugged structural engineering requirements that his creations demand. Those skills will come in handy as the airport's main "Jeppesen Terminal" is an unequivocal success both aestetically—towering spires humbly mimic the mountains to the west—and from an environmental standpoint—natural light abounds, slashing the need for daytime illumination of the interior space. The existing structure will hopefully give Calatrava inspiration for something that will complement but not overpower a competent architectural equal. - KLH Click here for some pix I caught while visiting the excellent Milwuakee Art Museum (featuring the signature work of Calatrava) back in 2008...
photos by Ken Hamel/DenverArts.org
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