The Lincoln Avenue Pedestrian Bridge in Lone Tree Wins Prestigious Design Award

Denver, Colorado – Recipients of Chicago Athenaeum’s 2019 American Architecture Awards have just been announced. Winners will be recognized at an awards gala on October 10th and featured in the forthcoming New American Architecture (Metropolitan Arts Press Ltd).

Now in its 25th year, the American Architecture Awards are the highest public awards given in the United States by a non-commercial, non-trade affiliated, public arts, culture, and educational institution. They are also the centerpiece of The Chicago Athenaeum and European Centre’s efforts to identify and promote best practices in all types of architectural development, as well as recognize design excellence and the best and next contributions to innovative contemporary American architecture.

“For 25 years, the American Architecture Awards have presented stunning and meticulously- designed projects that demonstrate quality architecture in the service of clients, as well as the general public, no matter the scale of project,” states Christian Narkiewicz-Laine, Museum President, The Chicago Athenaeum. “This year’s winning projects are the buildings that are profoundly shaping American architecture in the 21st-Century. Today’s celebrated award; tomorrow’s landmark.”

The 2019 entries were reviewed and winners selected by a prestigious jury composed of Miami-based architects, educators, and developers including Alejandro Gonzalez of Arquitectonica (ARQ), Carlos Rosso of The Related Group, Luis O. Revuelta of Revuelta Architecture, Peter J. Studl (former Chairman) of The Chicago Athenaeum, Paolo Trevisan of Pininfarina of America, and Sebastian Salvat of Fortune International Realty.

Among the winners of the 2019 American Architecture Awards is the Lincoln Avenue Pedestrian Bridge in Lone Tree, a 170-foot-long pedestrian bridge that connects neighboring communities in south Metro Denver, provides an essential link in a region-wide network of cycling trails, and creates a civic landmark for the City of Lone Tree.

“The City of Lone Tree was thrilled to learn that Fentress Architects was the recipient of this prestigious award. They delivered an iconic bridge that balanced community needs, design elements, and structural efficiency,” said Lone Tree Mayor Jackie Millet. 

As the form of the bridge—an asymmetric cable-stay—took shape, the design team of Fentress Architects and Thornton Tomasetti worked collaboratively to create a balance between structural efficiency and artistic form. Paying homage to the symbolism of the City of Lone Tree, the design team refined the three-dimensional lattice truss in the shape of a sculptural leaf, respectful of the natural beauty of the nearby Rocky Mountains.

Curt Fentress, Principal in Charge of Design at Fentress Architects said, “This project answers a need common to so many communities in our world: solutions to multi-modal transit.Intersections of pedestrian paths and vehicular traffic are growing ever more frequent and important. They are opportunities for civic government to serve their constituents.”

Fentress Architects has designed some of Denver’s most iconic structures including the passenger terminal at Denver international Airport, Broncos’ Stadium, the Colorado Convention Center, and Charles Schwab’s Corporate Campus.