The wild new addition to the Denver Art Museum is reminiscent of a futuristic kitchen tool. Called the Frederic C. Hamilton Building, it was designed by renowned architect Daniel Libeskind.
The building was inspired by the forms of the Rocky Mountains. He wanted visitors to experience the unique changes in light and weather the city undergoes. 9,000 titanium panels were used to reflect those variations.
The design was also intended to work with new and old buildings as well as the neighborhood in this up and coming area. Interestingly, the sharp end points to the existing museum which opened in 1971.
Inside the addition, as you may imagine, the galleries have unusual angles. The director of the museum got creative and came up with 20 different ways to display work in the new 146,000 foot space.
The extension was met with some disapproval, like from Los Angeles architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne who said the galleries made him feel dizzy.
Libeskind however, was undeterred by the critics. He feels that with innovative architecture, initial criticism eventually changes to admiration and appreciation.
Like art, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What do you think about this work?
