UC Berkeley

Museum buildings have clear behavioral functions; they also have symbolic functions, to express the privileged space and valuable objects they contain. This research looks closely at a recently-completed museum building in Denver, Colorado. Located in a regional city in the middle of the United States, the Denver Art Museum explicitly wanted to replicate the success of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao with its new wing. This case study utilizes a multi-method approach, with findings based on interviews with key stakeholders, archival data, and direct observations of the building and the spaces it creates.

From the beginning, the Hamilton Building had functions to fulfill beyond preserving and displaying art: it was to be its own fundraising tool, to represent Denver to the world and the Museum to Denver residents, and to draw cultural tourists in the same way that the Guggenheim museum drew tourists to Bilbao. As such, with a bond approved by the voters, the selection committee hired Daniel Libeskind as the primary architect, based on his personality, political savvy, and exuberant conceptual design.

The form of the building fulfills the programmatic requirements of the bond, while simultaneously fulfilling more symbolic functions. Its image is used as one of six in an international marketing campaign to boost tourism to Denver. The building is written about in the local, national, and international press, and while not all comments are positive, it does draw attention to Denver. The irregular spaces for art push curators and exhibition designers to be creative in how art is displayed, even changing art display tactics in the older, square-walled building. Artists generally like creating art specifically for the space, and one of the most successful shows in the building allowed visitors to watch art getting created and installed--an idea that was completely new to the Museum.

In conclusion, a new museum type has emerged, one where the building is as important as the art. This building type serves as a fundraising and advertising tool, not only the museum but also the city.