008 | PROJECT | ATRIUM CAMPUS
Humanscale Lighting Interior design studio MAWD teamed up with Warbach lighting design to produce a stunning exterior-influenced scheme for the Denver-based Atrium Campus. Using lighting was key to making the vast space feel inviting.
Downtown Denver’s first high-rise, 1700 Broadway, was designed by I.M. Pei in 1954. Then, an adjoining Atrium by architect Philip Johnson was added much later in 1983. This iconic building has undergone a contemporary revival by UK and US-based Mawd design studio, with the new space now a nucleus meeting spot for tech firms and leading creatives in Colorado’s capital, providing a flexible and responsive workspace for today’s workers. Beacon Capital Partners, an American real estate investment firm which acquired 1700 Broadway in 2019, appointed Mawd to bring the expansive 27,000sqft glass atrium down to scale, providing a more comfortable, flexible workspace. Unique to the Atrium’s entryway, visitors can find a front-of-house bike
room, complete with lockers, makers tables, and tool storage space. The thoughtfully designed workshop not only supports the city’s biking trends but encourages individuals to enjoy time spent on campus. Expanding 9000sqft, the communal amenity space features inviting fireplaces perfect for Colorado’s mountainous climate, as well as a wellness space with gym and yoga/sound bath studio, all to enhance the active lifestyles of Denverites. Lighting pieces from Roll & Hill and Artemide add further conforting layers to the communal areas. darc spoke with Elliot March, Co-Founder of Mawd and Project Lead, to find out more about the firm’s approach to designing various spaces within the iconic building, as well as with Nathan Warner,