DECEMBER 2014 \ BUILDING DIALOGUE \
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WORDS:
Eric Peterson
T
he Triangle Building’s shimmering prowwill be aUnion Stationneighborhood
landmark, said John Graham, a senior associate with Denver-based Anderson
Mason Dale Architects, the firm behind the building’s design.
“It’s such a wonderful site and such a wonderful opportunity to do an ob-
ject-quality building,” said Graham.
Saunders Construction is the general contractor behind the $45 million,
210,501-square-foot building. The finished product will be 10 stories tall, with street-level
retail and two floors of below-grade parking.
Groundbreaking took place in January, and the construction crew is now about 100
workers. The project is slated for completion in June.
SeanKennedy, the projectmanager, has beenwith Saunders for nearly two years after
cutting his teeth building high-rises in Chicago. “This will be our fourth corner here,”
said Kennedy of the intersection of 16th andWewatta streets.
Tony Street, the Triangle Building’s superintendent for Saunders, headed construc-
tion on the north and west corners at the DaVita headquarters and 1900 16th Street,
respectively, and Saunders also was behind the Gates building on the easternmost
corner.
It’s a particularly significant intersection. With the Union Station redevelopment
complete, the neighborhood is taking shape as one of Denver’s most distinctive
areas. “The amount of change down here is unbelievable,” said Street. “All of these
lots fromUnion Station to 16th Street were empty.”
When construction is finished, the Triangle Building will put a stylish stamp
on the area’s transformation. “It’s unique to build a triangle,” said Kennedy. “We’re
so used to building rectangles and squares.” Also unique is the cantilevered con-
struction, he added. There’s not a single column in those sharp corners.
The Triangle Building:
Inspired by Past
and Future
Influenced by the Brown Palace Hotel
across downtown Denver and New
York’s Flatiron Building, the Triangle
Building takes acute angles
and makes functional art.