In a national competition in 2001, Thomas Balsley Associates was selected as the lead design of Skyline Park, downtown Denver’s only public open space. The three-block-long, three-acre, linear park is at the center of downtown Denver and is bisected by the 16th Street Mall, a lively pedestrian space that connects many of Denver’s attractions and transit hubs. Designed by Lawrence Halprin in the 1970’s with sunken fountains, walls and berms, the park was seen by many as a failed space, disconnected from nearby activities and streets, unsafe and plagued by a variety of social ills. TBA was selected to redesign Skyline Park so that it could realize its potential as a neighborhood park for downtown residents and workers as well as a locus of civic gatherings.The new design is conceived as a series of interwoven ribbons of new elements and materials. Existing Halprin elements have been sensitively retrofitted and combined with shade tree canopies and open lawns. The lawns and colorful planted areas are applied throughout the park—some as flexible level areas that host a variety of celebrations and events; others as lawn promontories from which urban life can be viewed. Café kiosks, shade pavilions, and interactive fountains contribute to the extended activity. This system of intermingling layers—of elements old, new and adapted, at ground level and overhead—dramatically transforms these three blocks into a vibrant, successful and beloved park in the heart of Downtown Denver.
