Before leaving Denver, I visited MCA Denver, the museum of contemporary art, located on a remediated brownfield site two blocks from Union Station in LoDo. This non-collecting museum -they take sustainability seriously in their mission- is housed in a 27,000 square foot LEED Gold certified building. The design of the building, "supports rather than defines the museum's mission" to quote the museum's literature. This less-is-more approach to architecture in a field of iconic examples of contemporary museum architecture seems to suit this organization well.
Image from www.mcadenver.org
Additional features of the building interiors were noteworthy:
Natural light floods transitional spaces.
Children's learning spaces are segregated from exhibit spaces and easily maintained.
An open shelf library encourages exploration.
The green roof garden uses native plants.
I was also impressed with the message conveyed by the museum's admissions policy during the Energy Effects exhibit, exploring the relationship between energy and aesthetics. If a person walked, took public transportation or rode their bike to the museum, they were given a reduced admission fee. What a simple, smart way to remind us that each of us can take small actions to contribute to a healthy environment.
