Best New Building in the City

Early this year, Governor Bill Owens and Mayor John Hickenlooper presided over the grand opening of a new charter school. Built on land donated by Stapleton developer Forest City, the Denver School of Science and Technology is aimed at high school students with a gift for math, science and high tech. But whether they notice or not, the students will also be exposed to art: the sophisticated neo-modern building designed by Denver architect Brian Klipp, a rambling, exaggeratedly horizontal form carried out in silvery gray metal, painted stucco and scorched bricks. There are any number of stylistic flourishes on view -- corner windows, ribbon windows and eyebrow sun screens -- but the most spectacular is the entry pergola created from canted wooden beams and steel cable riggings. This cool school gets an A+ for style.