The Denver Art Museum by Gio Ponti and James Sudler (1971). Although Ponti designed a few interiors in the United States, this is the only complete building realized. Ponti described it as “an invitation to the sun.”
The Denver Art Museum was in search of a big name architect to raise the museum's profile. I.M. Pei and Le Corbusier declined the project, but in 1965, the museum hired Gio Ponti to design the library, with local firm, James Sudler Associates. A multi-year funding campaign included backing from corporations, foundations, private donors, and public entities.
Dr. Otto Karl Bach, the museum’s longtime director, called for a very specific interior plan. He wanted 11 square-shaped galleries measuring 10,000 square feet each. This was the amount of space Dr. Bach believed would be right for the 45 minute attention span of the average museum visitor.
Source: Architectural Record, March 1972
James Sudler and Joal Cronenwett went to Ponti's studio in Milan with guidelines from Dr. Bach. In an interview, James recounted how closely their ideas paralleled with Ponti's in solving issues related to site and space. However, the windows were an issue. Dr. Bach's requested only artificial light in the galleries. So although no openings were needed, Ponti wanted windows. The final design is a 24-sided nine-story castle-like structure with over 200 windows. The museum's President James Silber is seen here in 1966, with Sudler and Bach.
Source: Pueblo Chieftain, Sun, Jan 09, 1966
The model was was on display at the Neusteters Department Store.
A groundbreaking happed in 1968, and the museum opened in October 1971.
Source: Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph, May 01, 1966
It looks like they went with Knoll.
Using the Richard Schultz Leisure Collection inside was an interesting choice. I like it.
Photo: Ruth McCoy, via Architectural Record, March 1972
There are over one million gray glass tiles, which were manufactured by Corning Glass Works. Ponti specified glass because ceramic would crack in the Denver climate. It took two years for workers to install the tiles.
Tile from the Denver Art Museum's collection.
Denver's big, open skies and brilliant blue views are a real thing.
Thankfully Ponti won that window fight. They make the project.
The museum has a great collection as well.
It's so annoying that I always have to do this.
A large display of pieces from the Coors Porcelain Company from Golden, Colorado. They have been included in a number of MoMA exhibitions over the years, like Useful Objects in 1946.
In the background is a display of work by Herbert Bayer. It's related to his work in Aspen, where he lived from 1946 to 1975.
The museum has the largest public collection of Bayer’s work (around 8,000 pieces).
Po-Mo department
The contemporary design collection is so good.
A plinth full of great Toshiko Takaezu pots. They were a gift from her. They are in the museums's neighboring Hamilton building, designed by Daniel Libeskind and Davis Partnership Architects.
I really likes this big round one.
John McCracken and Sol Lewitt.
They also have incredible Asian and Western collections, but I'm a modern guy so I didn't really take any photos of those.
The museum has a Ponti Restaurant and Café Gio. I highly doubt they use Ponti flatware, but...
Back at the Ponti building, there is Ponti flatware. It's included in
Knife Fork Spoon, Everyday Tools, Extraordinary Design. This was the impetus for me to go to Denver in the first place. A bulk of the exhibition comes from the collection of Dung Ngo. The exhibition was co-curated by Darrin Alfred (Curator of Architecture and Design).
I'm doing a separate post on the exhibition, which should be coming up next.
The Denver Art Museum by Gio Ponti and James Sudler (1971). Although Ponti designed a few interiors in the United States, this is the only complete building realized. Ponti described it as “an invitation to the sun.”
The Denver Art Museum was in search of a big name architect to raise the museum's profile. I.M. Pei and Le Corbusier declined the project, but in 1965, the museum hired Gio Ponti to design the library, with local firm, James Sudler Associates. A multi-year funding campaign included backing from corporations, foundations, private donors, and public entities. 
James Sudler and Joal Cronenwett went to Ponti's studio in Milan with guidelines from Dr. Bach. In an interview, James recounted how closely their ideas paralleled with Ponti's in solving issues related to site and space. However, the windows were an issue. Dr. Bach's requested only artificial light in the galleries. So although no openings were needed, Ponti wanted windows. The final design is a 24-sided nine-story castle-like structure with over 200 windows. The museum's President James Silber is seen here in 1966, with Sudler and Bach.
