History

An integral part of understanding the framework for design and future development is to come to an understanding of history and context.

In our initial phases of research and site analysis, our group focused primarily on four contributing factors that shape the history of Denver’s Union Station. First, there was particular attention paid to the history of the station, the history of the plaza, and their functional changes overtime. Second, the use of maps, photographs, and literature all helped to address what the station’s role over time has been and what it has meant to various generations throughout its history. Third, in order to respect the historic context of the station’s surrounding neighborhoods and relevant adjacencies, our analysis also made clear indication of protected and registered landmarks in the area; their era, architecture and designation status. Attempting then to bring our research to a modern and relevant point in time, we ended with taking a close look at the history of recent developments that have taken place in the surrounding area; as well as the negotiations and planning processes that have brought this project to the place that it is today.