Beaver Meadows Visitor Center and Rocky Mountain National Park
Dates
January, 2001 - National Historic Monument
Context
Beaver Meadows Visitor Center continues to be one of Mission 66’s biggest successes, and gained recognition as a National Historic Landmark in January, 2001. The building’s design is harmoniously in line with Mission 66’s core philosophy of enhancing the visitor’s experience through their automobiles. The impressive structure shifts the viewer’s focus to the park itself and encourages mobility. Its expansive, window-laden interior constantly reminds visitors to explore the outside world.
The center’s furniture and decor, personally selected by Olgivanna Lloyd Wright and Taliesin, take a similarly modernist approach as the building, mixing manufactured aesthetic with a hint of naturality (National Historic Landmark Nomination, 2001). Like Beaver Meadows Visitor Center itself, the furniture offers visitors a welcome place to rest, but discourages them from lingering for too long while the park beckons.
