Equitable Building – Stout St and 17th St.
Built in 1911, Denver’s Equitable Building was designed by Boston architects, Andrews, Jacques and Rantoul. Planned to maximize light into offices, the floor plan is two ‘E’s back to back. The nine story building is constructed of granite blocks and terra cotta and its elevations date back to an Italian Renaissance Revival Style. On the fifth floor balcony the cornice is adorned with Amorini. The Equitable Life Assurance Company designed its Denver Headquarters to be a testament to the stability of the company. “E” can be found int the Tiffany windows, ceiling mosaics, bronze-covered iron banisters, doorknobs and throughout its stone and terracotta carvings. The deeply recessed courts enable every office to have a window for fresh air and natural light while making the building “E” brand statement.
Bronze Grand Staircase
Stout Street – Entrance
The building’s lobby is illuminated by tripartite transomed Tiffany window. Bronze stairways lead to a beautiful Tiffany stained glass window – The Genius of Insurance represented by the Greek goddess of protection- Minerva. The interior is covered in yellow marble wainscot with mosaic tiles in Byzantine motifs with vaulted ceilings. Marble from Vermont, Tennessee, Italy and France were brought in to enhance the interior. Rounded arches and rusticated stone of the building show the influence of Romanesque architecture that is distinctly American. The style deviated from the style by its classical foliated capitols, and coffered arches. Horizontal lines, symmetry and rustication make this building a great example of American architecture influenced by the Italian Renaissance Revival.
Goddess – Minerva – Tiffany Glass
Tiffany Glass fabricated four stain glass windows in the lobby. The image in the center of the grand window was designed by John Quincy Adams Ward to be the Emblem of the Equitable Life Assurance Company.
“There are few buildings in the United States will equal the Graceful Beauty of its Architecture and the attractive loveliness of its composition.” – Rocky Mountain News, 1892
