CREJ

/ BUILDING DIALOGUE / MARCH 2017

/ Ready for Takeoff /

of this scale. Unlike many other airport projects, Denver’s reuse will not be a city-fund-

ed municipal effort, but an investment by a private company with a broad vision.

With this project, Thompson is providing Denver with the opportunity to be a

national leader in airport reuse.

So how will Punch Bowl Social do it? First, when approaching an adaptive reuse

project at a former airport, we had to consider the structure of the air traffic control

tower itself. While the majority of the tower will remain empty, maintaining its

height and design honors its historic significance as well its potential for generat-

ing conversation – a significant advantage for an entertainment space.

Essential to the tower’s design are the building’s historic industrial and mid-cen-

tury materials. Thompson is adamant about repurposing these materials, so a

good deal of the tower’s original exterior material will be repurposed for the in-

terior walls. The restaurant will occupy the first two stories, plus an additional

5,600-square-foot expansion.

Inside, proposed design features revive the “golden age of flight” – a time when

air travel was still glamorous and exciting. The restaurant and offices will be in-

spired by air travel, including custom wall coverings representing the view from

30,000 feet, as well as a hostess stand made from vintage steamer trunks. Vintage

airport elements will be mingled with classic elements of the restaurant, such as

an antler chandelier and a 360-degree circular bar. The marriage of the two worlds

– entertainment and air travel – will enmesh the original feel of the building into

the signature character of the restaurant, resulting in a Punch Bowl Social that

feels like a Punch Bowl Social, but with the spirit of a midcentury airport.

Designing and reusing a former airport tower is a once-in-a-generation oppor-

tunity to enhance an iconic municipal structure while revitalizing what was once

abandoned. For architects and developers, the chance to innovate and design a

project with such high visibility is a thrilling opportunity, but the greatest satisfac-

tion will come from continuing to position Denver as one of the country’s leaders

for creative and successful adaptive reuse projects.

OPENING ART:

Inside Punch Bowl Social’s

newest location at Stapleton,

proposed design features will

revive the “golden age of flight.”

ABOVE:

OZ considered the

structure of the air traffic

control tower to inform the

adaptive reuse design.