Opening next spring, a LEED-Gold Standard building to showcase state’s past & inspire its future
The cornerstone of the new History Colorado Center was unveiled yesterday by Governor Bill Ritter, under whose administration the outdated old Colorado History Museum was demolished, and Governor John Hickenlooper, under whose the new History Colorado Center will open sometime in spring. Maybe someday someone will rue the loss of the old place whose facade somehow resembled a block-long solar panel, but right now, it’s nothing but raves for the new museum. IMHO, people will continue calling it the Colorado History Museum, even though the bright place built around a light-filled atrium bears minimal resemblance to its old, largely subterranean predecessor. Click here for a video of the ceremony, including some dignitaries’ remarks.
I’ll write more about the museum when it opens, but here are some scenes from the preview visit:
Elegant public entryway on Broadway to new museum. The school group entrance is along a side street.
Large lobby's terrazzo floor contains recycled glass, and ceiling is made of beetle-killed pine.
Skylights bring daylight into the atrium. A high-tech screen shows one, several or many images.
Model of a human-propelled "rover" that will crawl over a Colorado map. When it hovers on a place, historical videos will appear on small individual screens on the device.
View across the atrium from the second floor.
Staff members shelving books on sliding shelves that maximize space. The new museum will be more accessible and user-friendly for research.
Ballroom and function room on the top floor faces west.
The History Colorado Center is at 1200 Broadway. Stay tuned for an opening date.
