A Rhino in RiNo! It's Up to You to Name the New, 22,000-Pound Sculpture

A giant sculpture of a rhino started going up off 29th Street and Arkins Court in RiNo this week, and Denver Redditors were quick to notice. “I hope it’s looking directly at blucifer idgaf how far apart they are,” one user commented. “Kaiju are territorial apex predators. Blucifer cant be happy about a new titan within his domain,” another answered.

“Denver is gathering the tailed beasts I see,” another user pointed out.

Considering the infamous "Mustang," aka Blucifer, outside Denver International Airport, the big blue bear peering into the Denver Convention Center (officially named "I See What You Mean"), and the well-endowed buffalo sculpture outside History Colorado Center, that Reddit user might be onto a Denver trend.

At more than thirty feet tall and 22,000 pounds, the rhino sculpture joins this city's parade of big beast sculptures. "It's made of weathered steel with custom-painted, all-weather climbing panels and integrated lighting," says Laura Newman, vice president of investment and development at Golub & Company. "It will be surrounded by playful details like birdhouses."

It will be up to this city's residents to give the rhino a name, too. ("Rhinocifer" just doesn't quite hit the right notes). The "Name the Rhino" campaign launched May 29, and the public has until June 5 to submit name ideas online. "A shortlist of finalists will then be shared for a public vote through June 10, and the winning name will be revealed on June 12," Newman says.

But this latest artistic installation is more than just a sculpture. It's part of a massive project slated for the RiNo Art District area that will resurrect the Denargo Market name (produce trucks and markets once filled this part of the River North area). According to Newman, Denargo Market is one of the largest urban infill projects currently underway in Denver; the multi-phase, mixed-use redevelopments led by joint venture partners Golub & Company and Formativ spans seventeen acres of the South Platte riverfront northeast of downtown Denver.
Much of the original Denargo Market burned down on July 7, 1971. "It was a four-alarm fire, in which firefighters were hampered by the lack of fire hydrants in the area and a loss of water pressure," a Denver Public Library archive post recalls. "Aerial snorkel trucks were called in from Englewood and Arvada to help the 200 Denver firemen battle the fire, which raged out of control for more than two hours. Over 50 Denver Police officers were on hand to help move traffic and handle the crowd."

The Denargo Market dates back to 1939 and was once Denver's largest food market, housing more than 500 grower stands before the fire. "With this project, we’re transforming what was essentially a doughnut hole in the urban fabric into a connected, walkable and inclusive neighborhood centered on public life," Newman says.

Zoned for over three million square feet of vertical development, the project will feature a blend of office, retail, hospitality and mixed-income residential housing with new connections to the river and the city, Newman says.

The first phase broke ground in September 2023. The current phase of the project includes more than four acres of public open space and amenities, such as new sports courts and a revamped dog park (which opened last October), a pedestrian plaza, a half-acre of green lawn and pop-jet fountain, pedestrian sidewalks and protected bike lanes, a playground and the massive rhino climbing sculpture, which Newman says was "a playful nod" to the RiNo Art District.

"The rhino embodies the spirit of creativity, grit and personality that defines this part of Denver," she continues.
The sculpture was designed by Sasaki and is being fabricated by local companies JunoWorks and Eldorado Walls, with structural engineering by Craft Engineering Studio. When it’s completed, it will feature climbing panels with soft surface material beneath the structure to comply with playground safety standards. Climbing holds will extend as high as twelve feet above the ground.

Although the rhino has been a symbol of RiNo since the art district was formed in 2005, the idea for the sculpture dates back to 2020; JunoWorks and Eldorado Walls have been working on its fabrication since late 2022. The pieces started arriving on-site in April and the sculpture is projected to be finished in June, but it won't be accessible to climbers until early September, as the rest of the area is still under construction.

Find out more about the Denargo Market project at denargomarket.com. Submit name ideas for the rhino sculpture here.