Objectives
The complex was built atop the Denver International Airport Transit Center, which offers direct commuter rail access to downtown Denver. The pavers were installed with the intention of being able to shift with movement. Concrete pavers were installed when issues arose with granite pavers.
Solutions
When there were performance issues with the granite pavers, they were replaced with concrete pavers to emulate the look of granite but with the superior performance of concrete pavers. The pavers segue to porcelain tile as the 132-foot-long steel entrance canopy extends inside to become the lobby ceiling, with cloud-like voids illuminated by LEDs (as seen above). Reception and check-in pods for the 519-room hotel and conference center are aerodynamic, internally lit forms in glass and white solid-surfacing. In addition, the concrete pavers installed assisted in achieving a LEED Platinum status for the Hotel and Transit Center, specifically part of the 15% of locally sourced material; as well as providing recycled component, specifically fly ash and iron oxide pigments.
Results
As explained by senior associate Lisa Kong, leader of the firm’s Los Angeles hospitality interiors studio, “The design is all about movement.” Even the patterns of the joints between the plaza’s concrete and granite pavers are intended “to emulate the way earth moves when tectonic plates shift,” she explains.
Team & Location
Owner: Denver International Airport
Designer: Gensler
Producer: Keystone Hardscapes
Installer: Rocky Mountain Hardscape