Platte St Plaza

Platte Street Plaza is situated at the east end of the prominent Highland bridge spanning I-25, a major arterial thoroughfare that created a barrier for pedestrian and bike commuters from west neighborhoods into downtown Denver. An absence of pedestrian amenities, and a lack of lighting made the space intimidating and uninviting. Adjacent businesses had no amenitized outdoor areas.

Through a public-private partnership between the City & County of Denver and Unico Properties, Dig Studio was engaged to redesign the plaza, which now functions as the heart of the neighborhood.

Within the plaza, zones were defined for different uses. The plaza edges provide ‘eddies’ to support café seating for the adjacent businesses and pedestrians. These seating areas are separated from the primary circulation route in the central plaza by custom illuminated timber benches arranged along the plaza edges, and planters containing shade trees and a blend of native and xeric plantings. A vibrant hardscape activates the ground plane with banded pavers running perpendicular to the primary circulation route, slowing bicyclists and other wheeled commuters through the plaza. Despite over six feet of grade change across the site, the main thoroughfare remains free of stairs and accessible to all.