City Park Border Marred By Chain Link Fence, Poor Passageways
A Vision for Aesthetic Improvements
By Greg Davis
On Dec. 15, the Denver City Council granted a certificate of designation to operate a gasification system in a building adjacent to Duck Lake in City Park.
Some citizens rallied against this decision focusing on the aesthetic of the building itself.
Fast-forward two months. The Denver Zoo hosted its first public meeting related to the Denver Zoo Master Plan, a significant topic within being the look of this building.
I have thought about this frequently over the past two months, questioning what is missing in terms of how the zoo aesthetic works within City Park.
After awhile, a vision materialized, and I’m providing this to briefly summarize that vision with you. The goal within is not a fix to a singular building, but to use the Denver Master Planning process as an opportunity to improve the co-existence of the Denver Zoo within City Park.
Drawing people into the interior
The greatest single asset of City Park is the iconic view to the west from the Museum of Nature and Science. It is so cherished that this view has been protected for future generations by designating it as a “historic viewplane.”
However, for most visitors not living immediately adjacent to the park, the exploration of the park ends there. A lack of visual interest and pedestrian pathways create a disincentive for visitors to explore the park’s interior. This is most pronounced at the southern border of the Denver Zoo.
This border currently largely consists of a chain link fence with poor pedestrian passageways, the center of which is occupied by a Denver Parks and Recreation maintenance facility.
Many pedestrians can be observed either unconsciously moving away from this building when walking by or deliberately avoiding it altogether by detouring onto the Ferril Lake trail to pass by. This facility, which once housed Cookie, the first elephant in the Denver Zoo, presents an opportunity – and a story that should be told.
Replacing unsightly chain link with reclaimed historic brick fencing and providing interpretive signage that tells the tale of this historic structure would make an amenity of what is currently an unsavory pedestrian experience.
Several similar opportunities are available to enhance the border of the zoo within the park. The Denver Zoo has proposed applying a border application termed “architectural zoo fence.” This fence, when used in combination with proposed pedestrian improvements to a “Park Boulevard,” would create a more cohesive pedestrian flow along with visual interest that denotes that what lies beyond the fence is in fact a world class zoo.
One proposal in the Denver Zoo Master Plan is a feature termed architectural zoo fence.
Embracing the coexistence of the zoo and park
The Denver Zoo and City Park share a rich vibrant history. The zoo was started with a donation of an orphaned American black bear in 1896, a history that dates back to the infancy of City Park’s design in 1882.
However, while these two entities share a collective space, they operate with a look and feel that is completely separated. So, how can this co-existence be embraced through design?
One needs to look no further than the recent expansion of the nearby Denver Museum of Nature and Science, also in City Park. The design of the Morgridge Family Exploration Center and Boettcher plaza brings elements of the museum into the park and integrates into existing pedestrian corridors.
A totem pole and a re-creation of the Snowmastadon fossil unearthed near Aspen from the museum’s collection added during this expansion now bring elements of the museum into the park.
The Boettcher Plaza now provides a windbreak for what was once a dusty and windy pedestrian corridor. Wide stairs from the plaza activate pedestrian access to the museum meadow, and new landscaping enhances the meadow and integrates into existing park trails.
A rainbow embedded in the sidewalk now leads park users into the Boettcher Plaza to a pot of gold. This feature integrates into existing pedestrian movement in the park, while providing a tribute to the history of the museum. It was supported through the donation of gold unearthed in Colorado.
One proposed element of the Denver Zoo Master Plan is to create a new walkway known as a braided path. This unique walkway would feature two hardened surfaces separated by an area with a sinuous trail analogous to a riverbed.
Wouldn’t it be fantastic if this braided path continued from the zoo’s main entrance all the way to the proposed Park Boulevard? This would create interest between the two areas. And, if adorned with a sculptural or interpretive element about the Denver Zoo, it would emphatically celebrate the two entity’s shared history.
Creating visual impact with public art
During the Zoo Master Plan public meeting on Feb. 3, fully 100 percent of the attendees expressed support for creating public art around the zoo’s new gasification plant at Duck Lake.
The space at Duck Lake, where the park borders the zoo, creates an opportunity for an art installation that is bold in scale and visual impact. An art installation could tie into existing themes in the park such as the lights of the prismatic fountain, the co-existence of the zoo and the park, and the pathways of pedestrian movement in the park.
Given the setting and curvature of Duck Lake, the installation could be dramatic while not encroaching too much into park space or moving parkland into different uses.
A separate opportunity exists with the art installation, Avian Front, a flowing sinuous structure based on the microstructure of a bird feather. This creates a unique tie to the zoo, and improvements to the aesthetic surrounding this installation could greatly enhance the pedestrian experience along its long linear corridor.
A chain link fence that was installed after Avian Front was created is currently visible through the art. Creating a physical barrier blocking this fence and backlighting the installation would further enhance the movement and shadowing through Avian Front and into the park.
One man’s vision. What is yours?
There are many directions the Zoo Master Plan could take. The point of this article is to provide some concepts to motivate people living near and using City Park to further engage in this public process.
This is just one vision. Why not share yours? The Denver Zoo continues to seek input as part of their master plan. For more information or to let your voice be heard, visit http://denverzoo.engagingplans.org.
Editor’s note: Park Hill resident Greg Davis is the board chair of City Park Alliance. This column, written exclusively for the Greater Park Hill News, follows Davis’s piece last month detailing the city’s newly adopted waste-to-energy program at the zoo. That column can be read at http://greaterparkhill.org/2015/02/city-park-waste-energy-system-approved/ To weigh in with your ideas for the edge where City Park meets the Denver Zoo, send ideas or letters to the editor, at editor@greaterparkhill.org.