Racines Restaurant
Denver, CO
After more than 20 years as one of Denver’s dining hotspots, the popular Racines Restaurant decided to make a move to the emerging Golden Triangle neighborhood. While neighbors feared the local eatery would attract more vehicles to a community already burdened with high traffic, they also wanted a building that would complement the mix of small brick bungalows and large-scale office buildings in the area. With the right mix of materials and a neighborhood-sensitive design, the new Racines building and parking garage serves as a gateway into the Golden Triangle, successfully incorporating the restaurant’s rich history into its new space. The architects created a welcoming facade that echoes the city’s historic storefronts. Lively bands of red brick punctuate the entry while corrugated metal, precast trim and large windows add to the character of the new building. Project architect Marc Applebaum, AIA, uses masonry to help tell clients’ stories because of its “warmth, color, texture, pattern, permanence, quality, site-specific context and sense of place.”