Team selected to complete 16th Street urban design plan
A consultant team led by Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architechts LLP (ZGF) has been selected to complete the first 16th Street Mall Urban Design Plan. The primary design team includes The Olin Studio (Philadelphia, PA), ELS and StudioINSITE (Denver, CO.) Additional members of the team will consider universal access, pedestrian behavior, historic preservation, lighting design, transit operations and public outreach.
As part of the 2008 16th Street Mall Plan, the Downtown Denver Business Improvement District, Downtown Denver Partnership, Inc., City and County of Denver, the Regional Transportation District and 16th Street Plan Steering and Technical Committees issued a Request for Proposals for a consultant to develop an urban design plan for the 16th Street Mall in Downtown Denver.
The selection committee chose this team out of seven proposal submittals based on several criteria. The team’s holistic approach to this project and understanding of the Mall’s complex environment ultimately led to the their selection. ZGF’s relevant experience includes projects such as the Portland Transit Mall Revitalization, the Howard Street Enhancement Strategy (Baltimore, MD) and the K Street urban design (Washington, DC.)
"We are fortunate to have such a qualified and diverse team to lead us through the urban design phase of the 16th Street Plan," said Cassie Milestone, Urban Planning Manager for the Downtown Denver Partnership. "This project will be more than a makeover for the Mall. Ultimately, it will integrate placemaking, economic development, universal access, historic preservation and other components to create a space that will be sustainable economically and environmentally for the next 25 years."
"The civic importance of Denver's 16th Street Mall is unparalleled, and recasting its role for the next 25 years is something that the ZGF team views as a huge privilege," said Paddy Tillett, Principal, ZGF Architects LLP. "All of us have worked extensively in Denver in the past, and several of us bring fresh perspectives from our national and international design work. Not surprisingly, each of our team members is thrilled to be engaged in the urban design of this signature street."
16th Street Plan Overview
In the fall of 2007, the 16th Street Mall celebrated its 25th anniversary—the catalyst to launching the first phase of the 16th Street Plan, which would examine all infrastructure components of this popular Denver destination. In recent years, the 16th Street Mall infrastructure has deteriorated, with pavers coming loose, becoming slippery when wet and losing their overall color and richness. The cost for repairing broken and cracked pavers has become significant.
Consultants Matrix Design Group and EDAW worked with the 25-member 16th Street Mall Plan Steering Committee on a Technical Assessment and Rehabilitation Strategy intended to investigate the Mall's building materials and utility systems, while also considering the Mall’s accessibility and functionality.
Two public meetings were held to review rehabilitation alternatives for the Mall, and online surveys were also conducted to get feedback. In May, the consultant team presented rehabilitation alternatives for the area of the Mall extending from Broadway to Market Street, based on the assumption that fixing the architecturally significant granite pavers remained the primary goal.
The design and layout of the 16th Street Mall was created by world-renowned architectural firm I.M. Pei and Associates, which also designed the Pyramid du Louvre in Paris and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. The landscape architecture firm, Hanna/Olin, co-designed the Mall. Other projects designed by Laurie Olin include Bryant Park in New York City, The Simon and Helen Director Park in Portland and
Westlake Park in Seattle.