The article on Denver’s Art Museum by Gio Ponti and James Sudler brought back good memories for me. I was fortunate enough to work for Jim Sudler after graduating from architecture school. I spent a memorable year working with an extraordinarily talented architect. Upon his passing in 1982, I was given the task of organizing and categorizing the offices drawings and correspondence. 

What started out as drudgery turned into delight. I came across the full construction documents for the original Denver Art Museum, and the CD’s were works of art in themselves. I also came across some of the original sketches that Gio Ponti produced for the design, as well as other quick sketches that he produced. According to Joel Cronenwett, Jim’s associate architect, Mr. Ponti’s creativity knew no boundaries, and when struck with an idea, would grab a pen and sketch on the nearest available surface. If that surface happened to be your coffee table, it just became his next concept drawing, which explained the several sections of sketched upon countertops that were tucked away. My takeaways from working with Jim Sudler were that every new project is an opportunity to excel, and that attention to details can make or break a project. Many of the lessons I learned about “no detail is unimportant” still resonate with me.  

It is nice to see the original Denver Art Museum restored, and it’s collection expanded with an appropriate addition.

The Rebirth of Gio Ponti’s Denver Art Museum Tower | Architect Magazine