Air Traffic Control Tower – Denver International Airport
Denver, Colorado
Designers were challenged to create a slender structure that would resist both wind and seismic forces. Wind-tunnel tests were used to establish the proportions of the tower, and chamfered corners of the tower shaft were designed to reduce the “vortex shedding” action of the wind. The tower is located between two underground passenger shuttle tunnels, which required the site designers to structurally coordinate the tower’s foundation with the design of the underground tunnels on either side. When designed, the Denver International Airport control tower was the tallest control tower in North America.
At a glance
327 ft Tower
22,793 SF
850-SF Enlarged CAB
Features
Award of Excellence for Special Use (Concrete) – American Concrete Institute, Rocky Mountain Chapter
Chamfered corners to reduce “vortex shedding”
Site designed to coordinate with train tunnels
Designed to withstand wind and seismic forces
Tallest tower in North America at the time of construction
Services
Architecture
Construction Management & Inspection
Land & Site Develeopment
Client
Federal Aviation Administration
At 327
feet tall, it was the highest ATCT in North America at the time of its construction.
Fact:
Denver International Airport is by far the largest land area commercial airport in the United States.
Airports and Aviation
Architecture
Construction Management