Original building: 1971; Expansion construction began July 2003; Completion: 2006.
Description
The original structure designed by Italian architect Gio Ponti and Denver-based James Sudler Associates opened in 1971. It is a seven-story, 210,000-square-foot building that enabled the museum to display its collections in one structure for the first time.
The addition of the Frederic C. Hamilton Building (expansion of Denver Art Museum), a geometric 'explosion' of glass and titanium designed by Daniel Libeskind, will be an internationally significant work of architecture and a signature landmark for the city of Denver. Silhouetted against the majestic Rocky Mountains, the 146,000-square-foot Hamilton Building will nearly double the size of the museum. It will house several collections that have never been on permanent display. (information from http://www.denverartmuseum.org/)