What Could the Denver Pavilions Become? Sasaki Shares an Internal Design Study
Please note this is an internal design study and speculative concept. Not an active development proposal.
DENVER, CO — As conversations continue about the future of downtown Denver, design firm Sasaki has shared an internal design study exploring what one of the city's most recognizable properties could become.
Denver Pavilions Concept Design | Rendering Courtesy of Sasaki
The speculative concept reimagines the Denver Pavilions site as a mixed-use destination featuring housing, public space, retail, entertainment, and tourism attractions. The study was developed independently by Sasaki and is not an active development proposal or city-led project. Instead, it serves as a design exercise intended to spark discussion about the future of downtown Denver.
The concept arrives less than a year after the Denver Downtown Development Authority (DDDA) approved the acquisition of Denver Pavilions and adjacent parking lots along 16th Street. The DDDA has stated that the long-term goal is to reposition the property and explore opportunities for future mixed-use redevelopment while maintaining the site's role as a major destination in downtown Denver.
Titled "The Urban Living Room," Sasaki's vision centers around five primary elements: approximately 1,000 new housing units, a major civic plaza, a reimagined retail ecosystem, a glass-enclosed winter garden, and a public observation deck known as the "Denver View."
“The Urban Living Room” Concept Design | Rendering Courtesy of Sasaki
Under the concept, portions of the existing retail complex would be removed and replaced with a large public gathering space connected directly to the recently reconstructed 16th Street Mall. The plaza would create new opportunities for events, dining, recreation, and everyday use while serving as a central gathering place for residents, workers, and visitors.
The study also proposes adding two residential towers capable of accommodating roughly 1,000 housing units. According to Sasaki, introducing a significant residential population into Upper Downtown could help support local businesses, activate the area beyond traditional work hours, and create a stronger connection between downtown's economic and residential functions.
Another defining feature of the concept is the proposed Winter Garden, an enclosed public space spanning Glenarm Place. The structure would function as a year-round destination for gathering, shopping, dining, and events while providing weather-protected public space in the heart of downtown. The design envisions a dramatic architectural expression of glass, wood, and masonry that would become a recognizable landmark in its own right.
Winter Garden Concept Design | Rendering Courtesy of Sasaki
Rather than relying primarily on traditional retail, the study proposes a diverse mix of uses designed to create activity throughout the day. Food and beverage concepts, entertainment venues, coworking space, wellness offerings, cultural programming, and locally focused retail would help create what Sasaki describes as a more authentic and resilient downtown ecosystem.
At the top of one residential tower, the concept includes a public observation deck called the "Denver View." The attraction would provide sweeping views of the downtown skyline and Front Range while creating a new tourism destination connected to the nearby convention center, hotels, and 16th Street corridor.
The Denver Pavilions concept originated from a broader discussion outlined in Sasaki's recently completed Downtown Area Plan work. In an accompanying essay, Sasaki Principal and Denver Office Director Josh Brooks argues that successful downtown revitalization requires an ecosystem approach that connects housing, public space, transportation, economic development, culture, and investment rather than focusing on individual challenges in isolation. The Denver Pavilions study serves as an example of how those ideas could be applied to a single site.
While the concept remains purely speculative, it offers a visual look at one possible future for a property that sits at the center of ongoing conversations about downtown Denver's next chapter.
Denver View Concept Design | Rendering Courtesy of Sasaki
Development Team
Concept Study: Sasaki
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All project information was sourced from publicly available site plans, renderings, and permitting documents.
5 minute read • An internal design study from Sasaki reimagines the Denver Pavilions site with housing, public space, retail, entertainment, and a new civic destination in downtown Denver.