DENVER — The Central Library, in the heart of Denver's Capitol Hill neighborhood near Civic Center Park, has its fair share of history.
The building turns 70 this year, while the famous Michael Graves postmodern renovation turns 30 this month. The design team behind the library's new renovation needed to figure out a way to seamlessly combine the two sections while also creating a library ready for the realities of 2025.
“I'm not going to lie, it was very scary to consider how one would take a building that's already so well loved and known internationally and modify it to serve the purposes that we have today,” remarked Joseph Montalbano, managing partner for studiotrope Design Collective, which tackled the 2024 renovation.
The original library, and the current north wing of the building, was designed by Denver architect Burnham Hoyt, famous for his design of Red Rocks Amphitheatre. The building represents Hoyt’s take on modernist architecture.
In the 1990s, it became clear that the Central Library needed to expand. Renowned architect Michael Graves designed a renovation that, when completed, quickly became a prime example of postmodern architecture.
“That's a very postmodernist approach to architecture, to have some whimsy and to get people to sort of lighten up about what architecture can and can't do for us,” said Montalbano. “What was really fun about this renovation is how we stitched together those two very different types of architecture.”
The main goal of the most recent renovation was to connect the Hoyt side of the library with the Graves side of the library in a way that was inviting. The library’s Great Hall always brought the two sides together, but visitors were often confused by the small doorways and portals that connected them.
“The spacious hallway... definitely still has those characteristics of the post modern architectural vision, but it's just much more open and spacious,” said Michelle Jeske, Denver City Librarian and executive director of Denver Public Library. “Honestly, before, we would have people walk in and say, ‘Where is the library?’”
Six escalators were removed in the newly renovated Great Hall. Instead, visitors now find a series of stairways weaving above their heads. The design team wanted to make sure visitors knew there were additional levels to the building.
“We weren't modifying Michael Graves’ vision for the container,” said Montalbano. “What we were doing was modifying what is being contained inside and doing it in a way that is respectful to all of the different materials, lighting effects, and the flow through the building. It was a challenge, but I think it was also an invigorating one.”
Jeske collaborated with studiotrope Design Collective to make sure the new renovation has what people expect of a modern library but also respects the designs of Hoyt and Graves. The new design added 15 study rooms, moved and expanded the children’s library, added Denver’s first teen library, and altered much of the library to create a feeling of open space.
“This has been one of the highlights of my career to work with architects on the original master plan for this and to work with the city to ensure that we got the funding to do this major renovation," said Jiske.
Only the first two floors of the library have been renovated, and the renovation is not yet complete. The upper floors of the 8-story building, which house Denver Public Library staff, special collections, archives, and more, are scheduled to be updated in the future.
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