5280 Home – August 2019

32 | 5280 HOME | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: CARNEGIE LIBRARY FOR LOCAL HISTORY, DAILY CAMERA COLLECTION; CARNEGIE LIBRARY FOR LOCAL HISTORY (2); RICH STIMMEL, WESTERN EXPOSURES PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY OF SEAN MCILLWAIN; CARNEGIE LIBRARY FOR LOCAL HISTORY (2)

ARCHITECTURE

Boulder’s Month of Modern event in September celebrates the life and work of the late,

midcentury starchitect Tician Papachristou with a retrospective of his 11 years on the

Front Range. Here, a primer. • by ANGELA UFHEIL

EARLY DRAFTS

In 1954, Tician Papachristou rode

on a Greyhound bus into the city

that would launch his architectural career.

That far-from-grand entrance led to an

11-year stay in Boulder, where Papachris-

tou found a symbiotic relationship with

the city: His distinct style flourished as

he added to Boulder’s burgeoning modern-

ist movement.

Born in Greece in 1928 and

educated at Princeton, Papa-

christou came to Boulder for

a job under master architect

James Hunter. It took the young

draftsman just two years to

open his own firm and begin

building avant-garde homes for

a forward-thinking clientele. “It

was a special time in our city.

People were fascinated by new

science and new thinking,” says

Carol Taylor, executive director

at preservation-advocacy orga-

nization Historic Boulder. “That

spirit extended to architecture.

The clients were often young

and willing to give Papachristou

complete freedom.”

Youth often comes with bud-

get restrictions, which forced

Papachristou to design striking homes without flashy materials.

Using inexpensive cinder blocks, concrete, and wood helped him

develop a more approachable, natural style that endured for the re -

mainder of his career. Tight budgets didn’t stop him from creating

eye-catching, geometric structures, though. A pair of houses near

the University of Colorado Boulder, where he taught architectural

design, best exemplify his fascination with shapes: The first, the

Sirotkin House, celebrates rectangles, while the second, the Jessor

House, plays with circles and curves.

Though we have architect I.M. Pei (who died in May at age

102) to thank for the design of the impressive NCAR labs on Table

Mesa Drive, we can also blame him for luring Papachristou out

of Colorado. After the site-selection committee—of which Papachris-

tou was a member—suggested building the labs atop the mesa for

dramatic effect, an impressed Pei helped him get a job in New York

City with famed architect Marcel Breuer in 1965. Still, until his death

in 2018 at age 90, Papachristou visited Boulder often—perhaps to soak

up more of that inspiration he found in his early stomping grounds.

Open House

Get inside Papachristou’s

head—and houses—during this

Month of Modern special event.

Most admirers of Tician Papachris-

tou’s Boulder residences have

only seen them from afar, but on

September 21, everyone can get

a closer look at seven of them—

inside and out. The self-guided

tour is part of Month of Modern,

the annual celebration of Boulder

design orchestrated by modernist

firm HMH Architecture & Interiors.

To protect owners’ privacy, visitors

won’t receive the addresses until

the day of the tour (pick up a map

at HMH headquarters), but once

guests enter the homes, they’ll see

many of Papachristou’s signature

design elements, including ex-

posed beams and pillars, and the

illusion of the landscape flowing

into the built environment. Tickets

from $50; September 21, 10 a.m. to

4 p.m., monthofmodern.com

$225,000

The amount over

asking price that

Papachristou’s Samp-

son-Wood House

sold for after a bidding

war in 2016.

(Final price:

$1 ,749,600)

Clockwise from top left: 1. Tician Papachristou 2. The Löf House 3. The Sampson-Wood House 4. The Herbert Noble House (designed with

architect Charles Haertling)

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1

3

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32 | 5280 HOME | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: CARNEGIE LIBRARY FOR LOCAL HISTORY, DAILY CAMERA COLLECTION; CARNEGIE LIBRARY FOR LOCAL HISTORY (2); RICH STIMMEL, WESTERN EXPOSURES PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY OF SEAN MCILLWAIN; CARNEGIE LIBRARY FOR LOCAL HISTORY (2)

ARCHITECTURE

Boulder’s Month of Modern event in September celebrates the life and work of the late,

midcentury starchitect Tician Papachristou with a retrospective of his 11 years on the

Front Range. Here, a primer. • by ANGELA UFHEIL

EARLY DRAFTS

In1954,TicianPapachristourode

ona Greyhoundbusintothecity

thatwouldlaunchhisarchitecturalcareer.

Thatfar-from-grandentranceledtoan

11-yearstayinBoulder,wherePapachris-

toufounda symbioticrelationshipwith

thecity:Hisdistinctstyleflourishedas

headdedtoBoulder’sburgeoningmodern-

istmovement.

BorninGreecein 1928 and

educatedatPrinceton,Papa-

christoucametoBoulderfor

a jobundermasterarchitect

JamesHunter.It tooktheyoung

draftsmanjusttwoyearsto

openhisownfirmandbegin

buildingavant-gardehomesfor

a forward-thinkingclientele.“It

wasa specialtimeinourcity.

Peoplewerefascinatedbynew

scienceandnewthinking,”says

CarolTaylor,executivedirector

atpreservation-advocacyorga-

nizationHistoricBoulder.“That

spiritextendedtoarchitecture.

Theclientswereoftenyoung

andwillingtogivePapachristou

completefreedom.”

Youthoftencomeswithbud-

getrestrictions,whichforced

Papachristoutodesignstrikinghomeswithoutflashymaterials.

Usinginexpensivecinderblocks,concrete,andwoodhelpedhim

developa moreapproachable,naturalstylethatenduredforthere -

mainderofhiscareer.Tightbudgetsdidn’tstophimfromcreating

eye-catching,geometricstructures,though.A pairofhousesnear

theUniversityofColoradoBoulder,wherehetaughtarchitectural

design,bestexemplifyhisfascinationwithshapes:Thefirst,the

SirotkinHouse,celebratesrectangles,whilethesecond,theJessor

House,playswithcirclesandcurves.

ThoughwehavearchitectI.M.Pei(whodiedinMayatage

102)tothankforthedesignoftheimpressiveNCARlabsonTable

MesaDrive,wecanalsoblamehimforluringPapachristouout

ofColorado.Afterthesite-selectioncommittee—ofwhichPapachris-

touwasa member—suggestedbuildingthelabsatopthemesafor

dramaticeffect,animpressedPeihelpedhimgeta jobinNewYork

CitywithfamedarchitectMarcelBreuerin1965.Still,untilhisdeath

in 2018 atage90,PapachristouvisitedBoulderoften—perhapstosoak

upmoreofthatinspirationhefoundinhisearlystompinggrounds.

Open House

Get inside Papachristou’s

head—and houses—during this

Month of Modern special event.

Most admirers of Tician Papachris-

tou’s Boulder residences have

only seen them from afar, but on

September 21, everyone can get

a closer look at seven of them—

inside and out. The self-guided

tour is part of Month of Modern,

the annual celebration of Boulder

design orchestrated by modernist

firm HMH Architecture & Interiors.

To protect owners’ privacy, visitors

won’t receive the addresses until

the day of the tour (pick up a map

at HMH headquarters), but once

guests enter the homes, they’ll see

many of Papachristou’s signature

design elements, including ex-

posed beams and pillars, and the

illusion of the landscape flowing

into the built environment. Tickets

from $50; September 21, 10 a.m. to

4 p.m., monthofmodern.com

$225,000

The amount over

asking price that

Papachristou’s Samp-

son-Wood House

sold for after a bidding

war in 2016.

(Final price:

$1 ,749,600)

Clockwise from top left: 1. Tician Papachristou 2. The Löf House 3. The Sampson-Wood House 4. The Herbert Noble House (designed with

architect Charles Haertling)

2

1

3

4