Johnson & Wales University Denver: Centennial Hall

Johnson & Wales University Denver: Centennial Hall

PHOTOS on RIGHT © JOHNSON & WALES UNIVERSITY and PHOTOS © BRAD NICOL

After more than 30 years of being shuttered and $17 million in renovations, Centennial Hall is the new heart and hub of Johnson & Wales University’s (JWU) Denver, CO, campus.

Originally named Treat Hall, the structure was built in 1886 for the Colorado Women’s College and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1982, the University of Denver acquired Colorado Women’s College due to declining enrollment, and the building sat empty for more than three decades.

In 2000, JWU purchased the campus as its most western regional anchor with the goal of one day renovating the building back to its original prominence. By 2015, the university officially “broke ground,” renaming the building Centennial Hall in honor of the university’s centennial year and to pay homage to Colorado as the “Centennial State.”

“You can’t help but be inspired by this building, not only for its beautiful features, but also for what Centennial Hall stands for,” says JWU Denver’s vice president and dean of academic affairs, Richard Wiscott, Ph.D. “It was critical to ensure the design capitalized on bringing our campus community together by creating a variety of multipurpose spaces adjacent and connected throughout the entire building.”

With 56,600 square feet of space, Centennial Hall features classrooms, administrative and faculty offices, a health and wellness clinic, student activity spaces, a grab-and-go café and a great hall for campus events.

Many of the original finishes of the 130-year-old building, including the grand staircase, have been preserved and/or repurposed to allow the building’s grandeur to shine and flourish. In 2015, Historic Denver, one of the nation’s premier urban historic preservation organizations, recognized the Centennial Hall project with a Community Preservation Award.

Centennial Hall reopened in the fall of 2015.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • dormitory with green roofs, solar panels, balconies, and labeled architectural annotations

    2025 Residence Hall Design Trends Focus on Sustainability, Flexibility, Community, Technology, and Well-Being

    With the most technically advanced Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) at the helm, residence hall design trends for 2025 look to focus on flexible spaces, health and wellness, sustainability, community, and digital technology.

  • ClassVR Wins Tech & Learning Best of Show at ISTELive 25

    Avantis Education recently announced that its flagship product, ClassVR, won the Tech & Learning Best of Show Award at ISTELive 25 in San Antonio, Texas, according to a news release. The program is designed to celebrate products that are “transforming education in schools around the world and that show the greatest promise for the industry,” and this is the fourth consecutive year that Avantis has claimed the award.

  • Beeville ISD Starts Construction on New Elementary School

    The Beeville Independent School District near Corpus Christi, Texas, recently began a construction project that will consolidate two existing, aging schools into a new elementary school, according to a news release. The district is partnering with Pfluger Architects and Spawglass General Contractors for the design and construction, respectively, of the new facility.

  • ECM Technologies Wins ‘Most Innovative Business of the Year’ Award

    HVAC preventative maintenance and efficiency solutions provider ECM Technologies was recently named the “Most Innovative Business of the Year” at the 2025 Champions of Change Awards, according to a news release. The program recognizes Arizona business leaders and organizations taking steps to make a positive impact on the state through innovative thinking and philanthropy.

Digital Edition