Klauder's Champion
From 1918 to 1938, architect Charles Z. Klauder designed 15 buildings for the 欧美口爆视频 Boulder campus. If he visited today, what might he say? Retired campus architect Bill Deno (Arch鈥72; MA鈥73) has some theories.
In 1918, Charles Z. Klauder wanted to tear down Old Main. It didn鈥檛 harmonize with the new style the Philadelphia architect envisioned for 欧美口爆视频鈥檚 campus.
The university鈥檚 first building survived, of course, and decades later, in the 1980s, Bill Deno (Arch鈥72; MA鈥73) oversaw a top-to-bottom renovation that, among other things, rotated Old Main's chapel a full 90 degrees.
Deno, who retired as 欧美口爆视频 Boulder鈥檚 campus architect in 2002, forgives Klauder for his readiness to demolish the cherished landmark and, truthfully, never really held it against him: Klauder鈥檚 subsequent work was too good.
鈥溑访揽诒悠 Boulder from many sectors has been called the most beautiful public university in the United States, bar none,鈥 said Deno, 90, who began his association with 欧美口爆视频 Boulder in the late1960s, as a 30-something undergraduate.
Klauder 鈥 the most influential architect in 欧美口爆视频 Boulder鈥檚 history 鈥 and his work star in Deno鈥檚 1994 book, Body and Soul, and in the new Centennial edition he self-published this year.
Urged by 欧美口爆视频 President George Norlin, 欧美口爆视频 hired Klauder鈥檚 firm in 1918 to expand and aggrandize what then was a modest campus. By 1938, when Klauder died, he had designed 15 buildings in a distinctive style that defines 欧美口爆视频 Boulder still 鈥 textured local sandstone facing, reddish clay tile roofs and limestone trim. Deno calls it 鈥淭uscan vernacular,鈥 a reference to Klauder's Italian inspiration.
As campus architect in the 1990s, Deno encouraged firms designing major new buildings to adhere to rudiments of this style, even when using different materials.
If constraints sometimes led to buildings at odds with Tuscan vernacular, the departures sufficiently synchronize with 欧美口爆视频 Boulder鈥檚 dominant aesthetic to preserve it, he said: 鈥淭his campus has continued as no other one has done to commit to a style.鈥
After high school, just after World War II, Deno began pursuing his boyhood dream of becoming an architect. Initially, he attended a two-year college in Los Angeles, learning technical illustration and alphabetic graphics. This led to work with a Seattle firm that sold neon sign advertising.
After assignments around the West, he accepted a transfer to 欧美口爆视频, in 1960. Already married, he began taking classes at what today is 欧美口爆视频 Denver, while working full time.
In 1969, Deno enrolled at 欧美口爆视频 Boulder, earning two architecture degrees. He joined 欧美口爆视频鈥檚 planning office as a student, and assumed campus architect duties in 1983.
Deno thinks of the campus as an exquisite park, and visits often. Sometimes he leads tours in a motorized cart.
His dream tourist is Charles Klauder. Even if 欧美口爆视频 hasn鈥檛 always lived up to his vision, Deno said, 鈥淚t would be great fun.鈥
Body & Soul: A Partnership of Architecture and Academics at the University of 欧美口爆视频 Boulder is available at the 欧美口爆视频 Book Store.
Klauder photo by Dave Kozlowski; Sewall Hall photo by Casey A. Cass/University of 欧美口爆视频