As a town not yet 15 years old, Mountain Village is a long way from historic significance. But there's no reason why it can't look the part. Weathered metals are edging their way into the resort's palette of stone, tile, and stucco. Indeed, the town's design guidelines insist if you're going to use metal as an accent or for roofing, it better look like it witnessed the labor unrest of 1904.
Given that opportunity, one of Telluride's high-end builders turned to an Internet forum for advice on how to rust raw steel and galvanized metals, then stop the process and preserve it for posterity. The first metal finisher to post a response observed that most people in his trade were in the business of preventing exactly that from happening.
It took roughly a century of high alpine weathering for Telluride's historic sheds to acquire their patina. The unnamed shed on South Willow Street, across from the Telluride post office, is one of the more visible examples of the town's rugged design vernacular. Most of its imitators are still tucked in alleys, alongside vintage structures, where their metal roofs and siding have been coaxed into a compatible finish.
But rust has finally emerged onto main street. Witness 327-359 East Colorado Avenue, a newly completed luxury condo and retail space by Gies Architects. Its street facade includes exposed girders and a patchwork of weathered steel. At the other end of Telluride's main street (and price spectrum) are the new Mendota town homes. Designed by CCY architects, Mendota was built by the Town of Telluride for affordable housing. Its sections of rusted corrugated siding and roofs look right at home.
By Stephen Barrett
Add your comments...