Quote:
Originally Posted by twister244
That was mean......
I totally glossed over "If" and just saw it was lit up...... as though I was a child at Christmas being told there's one more hidden gift behind the chair next to the Christmas Tree.
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Well, I'm of the belief that there might be an ulterior motive to Hines not lighting the crown: accomodating corporate signage for one of its first anchor tenants, Gates Rubber. In the high-stakes game of corporate pre-leasing, it would be easier for Hines to frame the decision to keep the crown dark as a "gesture of courtesy" to residents in Four Seasons. However, it's extremely likely that Gates
strongly requested the ability to mount their logo onto the crown of the building (and Hines likely capitulated, figuring it was a factor in getting Gates to sign a lease agreement). According to the Denver Post, Gates will indeed install corporate signage atop the building, and I can't think of any examples in the world where a corporate logo is mounted onto a glass facade that is illuminated from within or behind. Of course I could be wrong, but lighting the crown would seem to distract from corporate signage since both would be lit at night.
It has been evident for a while now that 1144 Fifteenth's facade has been prepared for the installation of a logo all along. The top of the building has a "clean break" in horizontal facade elements and appears to feature "bolting points" to support the installation of large channel signage. The shape of this mounting area on the building (which is on both sides) is nearly coincident with the Gates logo itself:
Although I'm sure the Gates logo will be illuminated, it is still extremely unfortunate that the building's crown will be left dark. This was Denver's first chance to have a skyscraper in our skyline with a prominent illumination feature in the form of a crown, finally giving Denver a skyline that could be appreciated
(read: seen) from a distance at night - and a building that itself would become a nighttime icon for us. 1144 Fifteenth may also have been our last chance to light a pinnacle point in our skyline; given the uncertainties of how the "Green Roof Initiative" will likely rule out or otherwise discourage crowns, pyramids, domes, and other full-bodied architectural pinnacles on future skyscrapers. Sad that downtown Denver may have just blown its last chance to become a beacon of light at night, an element that is commonplace in virtually every cosmopolitan city skyline the world over.