The primary focus of the new façade for the facility at 26th and Walnut streets is to make the building safer.
It will enclose a large portion of the outside patio, adding a safe, dramatic and convenient entrance along with programming and gallery space. A flowing curved roof covers a transparent glass atrium space and dramatically enhances the solid, block forms of the existing Dairy building.
The new entrance will provide easy exit in case of emergency, allowing people to leave safely through the same entrance where they entered, and will ensure complete ADA compliance. The City of Boulder, owner of the building, will contribute funding.
Improved energy efficiency will allow greater sustainability through zone control and energy savings in heating and cooling systems, and the project incorporates alternative sources of energy, including passive solar, day lighting and the first phase of a solar array.
The larger lobby provides additional programmable space, allowing simultaneous access to separate events and added display space using movable walls and partitions. The Dairy’s success has dramatically increased audiences, classes and performances.
Crowds routinely pack the main lobby and other venues. Nearly 150,000 community members enjoy The Dairy as artists, students or audience each year, and attendance at events is up an amazing 38 percent compared with the same time last year, with an 8 percent increase in the number of performances offered.
