Populus

Located on a prominent corner site that connects Denver’s civic, arts, and commercial districts, Populus greets the neighborhood equally on its three sides to welcome visitors and residents. The sculptural façade is textured with vertical scallops that correspond to the width of guest rooms, linking the building’s exterior expression with its interior program. The glass fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC) panel cladding is acid-washed to bring out the material’s aggregate, giving the building a bright, natural hue. The building’s defining feature is a series of distinctive windows whose geometry is informed by characteristic patterns found on Aspen trees (Populus tremuloides). Each window is designed to evoke the dark, eye-shaped marks left behind on the bark of the trees, which shed their lower branches as they grow. The windows change in size and shape in response to the building’s public and private spaces within. At the base, the windows rise to 30 feet in height to frame entrances and views into the hotel while adding to the lively, pedestrian-friendly quality of the neighborhood. In the hotel rooms above, guests have immersive views of the nearby State Capitol, Civic Center Park, and the Rocky Mountains. Windows in select guest rooms feature built-in seating, providing occupiable spaces where guests can feel closer to nature. The 135,000 square foot building offers 265 guest rooms that range in size. A double-height lobby is adjoined to Pasque, an all-day dining destination, and a coffee bar on the ground floor, while a fitness center, flexible lounge, and event space are located on the floor above. On the top floor, hotel guests and the public can enjoy Stellar Jay, a rooftop restaurant featuring an outdoor bar and terrace with views of the Denver skyline and the mountains beyond. The design supports Populus’ sustainability goals through several features. The building is designed to maximize use of its compact, triangular site and foregoes any space dedicated to parking—a first for a newly built hotel in Denver—to encourage greener modes of transport. Its concrete structure incorporates fly ash to minimize the need for cement, lowering the amount of carbon emitted during the construction process. Detailed to perform efficiently in Denver’s climate, the exterior “lids” of each window stretch outward to shade interior spaces, while also channeling rainwater. On the interior, much of the structure is exposed to reduce the use of finishes. Where used, finishes target a high recycled content, such as reclaimed Wyoming snow fencing for the lobby and amenity ceilings, and recycled leather veneer in elevator cabs and on guest room desks. The green roof on the top floor provides an attractive habitat for local wildlife and insects, enhancing urban biodiversity. The building is targeting LEED Gold certification.