University of Denver Autumn 2025

GIVING BACK DENVER, OUR DENVER

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It’s not just an outside view of a wall or a shape that makes a great campus building. It has to do with how well it functions.

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Probably the most surprising building that far exceeded any expectations was the Anderson Academic Commons. In 1972, Penrose was a monolithic, faceless, characterless box that had some of the most wonderful folks in it. And yet, you walked in and saw miles of bookcases. A lot of orange and purple, mostly orange.

All of a sudden it changed. Now it opens up in the center, there’s light and, when you need to, you can find a cocoon, a quiet place that you can study. In 2023, Princeton Review ranked it as the No. 1 collegiate library in America. And you go, okay, architecture is pretty cool, right?

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UNIVERSITY OF DENVER MAGAZINE | AUTUMN 2025