Clyfford Still Museum

Courtesy of James Dewhirst
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A grove of plane trees shelters Brad Cloepfil’s mineral museum for an Abstract Expressionist from the busy Denver Arts District.

One of Denver’s Cultural District destinations, the Clyfford Still Museum is dedicated to the visionary artist’s life and work. The one-acre site is an intimate reprieve from the vast scale of the district and as a threshold to the museum’s experience of Still’s expressive work. An earthen plinth negotiates the six-and-a-half-foot grade change across the site and grounds the building. A grove of tightly spaced London plane trees populates the upper lawn to provide a shaded approach to the museum. Benches invite informal gatherings, and encourage visitors and neighbors to contemplate the site and the museum’s architecture. Paths scissor up the landform and across the plinth to connect the museum and its park to the adjacent streets and institutions.

Location

Denver, CO

Dates

2008-2011

Size

1 acre

Leadership

Team

Recognition

  • Honor Award for Architecture, New York Chapter American Institute of Architects
  • The American Architecture Award, The Chicago Athenaeum & The European Centre