The Mesa Laboratory / I.M. Pei

The Mesa Laboratory of the National Center for Atmospheric Research by I.M. Pei (1967), in collaboration with landscape architect Dan Kiley. 

The complex sits on the redundantly-named Table Mesa, at the foot of the Flatirons rock formations in Boulder, Colorado. It's surrounded by a 565-acre nature preserve.

Pei was inspired by Puebloan cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde. The structures are built from poured-in-place concrete, mixed with local red Lyons sandstone aggregate to match the rose-pink color of the surrounding hills.

A large model of the planned complex is on display. Some of the buildings seen here were never realized.

The surfaces were bush-hammered to create that rough texture.

I was under the impression that the surface was combed (when wet) like they do when putting in the grooves on concrete highways.  However, here is a slightly smaller example of the chisel they used. I love that they had to point that out. I'm guessing one of the scientists working at the facility felt it was necessary.

It doesn't look that much bigger. However, that's an insane amount of chiseling. 

There are some nicely finished stairs in the building as well.

The library

It includes a display of the original furnishings used when the building opened.

NCAR's laboratories focus on climate science, meteorology, atmospheric chemistry, the Sun and space weather, and environmental and societal impacts of weather and climate...

or for you conspiracy theorists, these are the folks who control the weather. 

And on cue, it started pouring.