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Avon tops Vail for innovation

Don Rogers

On the innovative building front, the crescent-shaped, living-roofed building that architect Arthur Erickson is building for the Village at Avon is impressive.In the architectural universe, Arthur Erickson is renowned, at least in Canada where he is considered one of the greats in that country. Probably the least of his awards is a 2004 Wood Design Award for the front of the Avon Wal-Mart. Notable here is that something attached to Wal-Mart won something for quality.The jury touted the “Canopy-Colonnade” this way: “Wood makes a welcoming transition for people moving from the parking lot to the impersonal big box store … . The wood canopy reflects light and projects warmth, an effect enhanced at night with up-lighting.” We mere shopping mortals will just have to pay a little more attention, it seems, as we enter the store. Erickson’s group is also designing the modern glass and wood and succulent-top, with skylight, structure that will be built across the street from the Wal-Mart-Home Depot complex.The drawings we saw shortly before the election look great, actually: classy, innovative – if only the same could be said for Vail’s conference center to be. Oh, well. It’s all in the eye of the beholder, right? Vail at least has the “innovative” part squared away. This one will have both.Magazine-worthySpeaking of classy, October’s Architectural Digest features part-time Beaver Creek residents Peggy and Steve Fossett’s other home in Carmel, California. Wow. The windows in the spread accentuate that ocean view, and the library is to die for. Hard to imagine how Steve can even leave to chase all those world records. Vail, Colorado


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