Awards celebrate innovation, creativity, beauty
Artists and city leaders turned out recently for the
3rd annual Mayor’s Design Awards, celebrating and recognizing noteworthy buildings found throughout
Denver.
“I think great cities are as enriched by many discreet and beautifully designed smaller projects as they are by the bold and grand civic gestures,” says Mayor John Hickenlooper. “Every time we do it, I come away with a sense of awe that a city like Denver that seems so, sometimes, on the surface, so placid, so almost normal, can generate and incubate such wonderful subtleties and such intense creativity.”
The
awards are designed to recognize the small, but great things done by business owners, home owners, and individuals who are adding beauty to
Denver’s neighborhoods.
“The excellence in design that we create as cities, as people, come from ourselves; and it comes from the spirit and the commitment to making beautiful places and beautiful things,” says Peter Park, Community Planning and Development Manager. “Let’s make sure don’t have rules that make it difficult to do the really wonderful things. And to the extent that we can let’s find ways to promote the best possible outcomes as possible.”
Some of the
structures recognized for their creativity, sustainability, and livability are the
Weir Building and Duo Restaurant on
West 32nd Street;
Z-Wick Place on Wazee; and the Mercury Café Urban Wind Farm on
California Street.
You can see the complete list of winners at
www.DenverGov.org/MDA. You’ll also find
nominating information for next years awards. The Mayor says because these
unique, creative places are found throughout the city, it’s hard to know everything that’s being accomplished. He asks individuals to bring those places to the attention of city officials who will make award decisions.