Page 4 - Denver, CO Sunken Gardens

SUNKEN GARDENS

BEST PRACTICES IN HISTORIC
PRESERVATION
Historic resources are essential components of the park’s
(as well as Denver’s) identity. They enhance quality of
life, economic vitality, and environmental sustainabili-
ty. Investment in these assets ensures that the social,
cultural, and economic attraction of the city is maintained
and enhanced.
Historic preservation seeks to maintain our shared history
as it is expressed in the built environment. As a preamble
to understanding the suggestions put forth in the Existing
Conditions section that follows in this memo, this section
summarizes concepts that are considered best practices
in preservation among professionals in the field. While
Program Sunken Gardens park with year-round activities
and events, such as this “Yoga Rocks the Park” event in the application of these principles varies with the circum-
2019. (303magazine, June 5, 2019. https://303magazine. stances of the resources, they are widely accepted.
com/2019/06/yoga-rocks-the-park/)
Goals for Historic Preservation
Generally, these are the goals for historic preservation as
they relate to Sunken Gardens:
• To keep resources of historic and cultural value in
active use
• To accommodate appropriate work that will sustain
their viability
• To maintain the key character-defining features of
individual resources and of the park as a whole

• To keep cultural resources intact for the benefit of
future generations
The park currently serves many functions, here acting as a gath-
ering and recreational location for people. (Winter & Company, • To promote neighborhood livability, sustainability,
2020.)
economic development and cultural appreciation
changes occurred, deviating from the original landscaping
schemes. Despite all these changes, the original layout Basic Terms Applied to the Treatment of
of the park, its key pathways and connections, and the Historic Resources in the Park
design intent of the two park sections remained. When describing work that may occur on a historic re-
source, these four actions are often applied:
1980 - 2020: An Urbanizing Context Preservation
Over the past 40 years, Sunken Gardens has continued Preservation is used broadly to mean keeping the integ-
to change use to respond to the needs of the neighbor- rity of a historic resource intact, but it also has a more
hood. While this period is one defined less by the physical
changes and more by the changing needs of the commu- specific, technical meaning: It refers to maintaining the
existing form, integrity, and material of a structure by
nity, it has seen some updates to the landscape plantings keeping it, including its key features, in good repair.
throughout the park. New plants have been added to the
park over the past 40 years, although they have not been Restoration
added in a planned way. This time period is defined more The restoration of a historic resource is the process of ac-
specifically by the active use of the park, which has ac- curately re-creating the form, features, and character as
commodated changing needs for the surrounding neigh- it appeared at a particular point in time during its period
borhoods. During this time period, Sunken Gardens has of significance. Essentially, this means putting things back
hosted track events and Yoga Rocks , activating the park to the way they were.
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and drawing in visitors from the surrounding neighbor-
hoods. As the neighborhoods adjacent to the park - Lin- Rehabilitation
coln Park, Capitol Hill, and others - continue to grow, the The rehabilitation of a historic resource is the process
park continues to adapt to be a welcome host. of either changing its use or returning it to a state that
makes a contemporary use possible. Rehabilitation in-
2 Sunken Gardens Park. Colorado Track XC MileSplitCO. cludes preserving those portions or features that are es-
https://co.milesplit.com/venues/23258-sunken-gardens-park sential to the resource’s significance. It also may include
3 Engen, Jessica. “Yoga Rocks the Park.” 303Magazine.
2019 June 5. https://303magazine.com/2019/06/yoga-rocks- repairing some features and/or constructing a compatible
the-park/ new addition. Rehabilitation may also include a change in
use. (Rehabilitation is the primary approach for resources
in the park.)
CITY & COUNTY OF D ENVER | P ARKS & RECREATION
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