Denver Union Station - The Crawford Hotel

The Crawford Hotel is located within the historic transportation hub of Denver Union Station. The building originally opened in 1881 as a train terminal and is one of Denver’s most important historic landmarks. Clanton & Associates collaborated with the architectural design team to recreate the historic chandeliers and sconces for the terminal using archival photos from the 1920’s. This revitalized the building space while maintaining the original design intent and returned the building to the glory of its heyday.

The custom wall sconces highlight the historic architecture by uplighting the arched ceiling and emphasizing the grandiose space. Pillar mounted custom lanterns and pendant lamps enhance the human scale for social interaction within the hotel lobby. These lamps break up the large space into smaller scale seating areas, which are described as Denver’s Public Living Room.

The Hotel’s Terminal Bar lighting sets the scene for an intimate, quiet environment. Bold dark finishes, integrated bar shelf lighting, and historic pendant lamps complete the subtle lighting concept with a historic, old western town feel.

The historic station façade adds texture and contrast with column accent lights and soft washes of light above the arched windows and under the canopy. Pedestrian scale light poles in the plaza illuminate the area to create a comfortable nighttime experience. The fountain in the South Plaza is a playful escape from the summer heat and takes on a magical character at night as the water refracts the light from LEDs at the base of each water jet.