Denver, Colorado, USA
“If we regard modern cities as man-made landscapes on the earth, we need to design canyons, woods, creeks, and waterfalls, transforming concrete forests into second nature,” said MAD founder and principal Ma Yansong.
MAD Architects and David Partnership have broken ground on a new Denver tower for a consortium of developers and have carved the building’s curved volume to reveal scenes from Colorado’s mountains.
The project’s “living structure” emerges from the architecture with rich greenery and Colorado’s diverse biomes.
It calls to mind the experience of ascending from foothill to alpine plateau.
The 16-story residential building planned for River North Art District has been designed with a large, landscaped chasm that carves through ten floors of the building’s exterior.
Situated in Denver’s River North (RiNo) neighborhood, One River North would have 187 for-lease residences, more than 13,000 square feet of open-air environment and an exterior trail that traverses four stories of the landscaped chasm.
The 10-story chasm is meant to resemble a slot canyon.
RiNo is peppered with historic warehouses and factories that have been transformed into jazz bars, restaurants, brewpubs, art galleries, and working studios. It also is known for a diverse mix of businesses: visual artists, designers, and furniture makers, to craft distillers and brewers.
The plan has a nearly-7,000-square-foot rooftop with a pool, spa, deck and garden. The building will be 216 feet tall. The lease units will include one-, two- and three-bedroom options, ranging in size from 625 to 2,500 square feet.
Each unit will have floor-to-ceiling windows and private open-air terraces. The ninth floor will have a fitness center and yoga studio.
The building will have a lounge with workspace areas and a pet spa.
“One River North is the model for how we should be living, surrounding ourselves in the natural environment, bringing nature into our homes and creating authentic, biophilic experiences coupled with modern comforts and conveniences,” said Kevin Ratner, co-founder of The Max Collaborative.
“The nature-inspired design by MAD Architects was influenced by Colorado’s landforms and merges nature and architecture to inspire a well-balanced life.”
“Its glass façade is likewise ribbed with louvers that regulate sunlight and soften its visual presence, shaping a serene retreat in the sky.”
Project: One River North
Architects: MAD Architects
Executive Architects: David Partnership, PC.
General Contractor: Saunders Construction
Developers: The Max Collaborative, Uplands Real Estate Partners, Wynne Yasmer Real Estate, and Zakhem Real Estate Group
