Charles Sink

Charles "Chuck" Stanley Sink (May 24, 1923 – April 12, 2013) was an American architect and designer. He is widely credited for his influence on the development and design of Denver, Colorado's modernist skyline in the 1960s and 70s. Sink had a hand in the design of approximately 250 constructions across Colorado. He was recognized as a fellow by the American Institute of Architects and served as the Colorado chapter's president in 1972 and as chairman of the AIA Western Conference in 1978. Sink was a friend and frequent collaborator of I.M. Pei and directed various architectural firms in Denver over the course of his career.

Sink was admitted to the University of Pennsylvania's architecture program in 1941. He transferred to Harvard in 1942 after completing a two-year degree equivalency at UPenn.

Sink moved to Denver in 1950 after completing projects in Los Alamos, New Mexico and Caracas, Venezuela. In 1956, Sink would open Sink & Associates, which would later become Sink Combs Dethlefs (now Perkins&Will, an international sports stadium design firm). Sink habitually collaborated with local architects.

Following Pei's recommendation, Sink was appointed architect on the Zeckendorf Plaza project, one of the nation's first mixed-use developments. He would travel to New York in 1955 to work under Pei's supervision. Contemporary opinions of One Cheesman Place were high, with many lauding the functional, human design, with analogies made to sculpture and artistic sensibilities in general.

McNichols Sports Arena (1975)

At the recommendation of Pei, Sink was tapped by Unimark's Massimo Vignelli to design the 1976 Winter Olympics stadium in Denver. While the city would ultimately elect to reject hosting the winter Olympics, Sink's vision was still realized as an indoor sports stadium located next to Coors Field. Sink's design for what came to be known as the McNichols sports arena was considered a departure from his typical aesthetic. Sink designed the arena as to be built "almost anywhere and independent of a specific location." The stadium would be demolished in 2000.

Private residences

Sink was commissioned to design private residences across the country. He designed every home he and his family lived in until he established his own residency in One Cheesman Place in the 1990s. Of particular note is Sink's infamous hyper-minimalist construction dubbed "The Continuous Wall" by Italian architecture magazine "Domus". Featuring virtually no exterior windows, the home served essentially as a fortress to an expansive courtyard in the center. Sink's design embraced the extreme environment in which the construction found itself in. Sink opted to "mold" the home to the environment, rather than bulldoze and clearcut the hillside. Adjusted for inflation, the home cost $112,909.98, or $10,800 in 1964.

Later career: 1980s and onwards

Sink remained a prominent architect in the Denver Metro Area until the early 2000s. Sink was responsible for the design of various DTC and Centennial corporate campuses. The arena would stand as Sink's last major project in general.

Architectural philosophy

Sink was greatly inspired by contemporaries Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier.

Sink appealed to minimalism and natural environments as a source of inspiration for the breadth of his career. Many of Sink's designs were intended to yield to their surroundings, if not enhance them in some respect. Sink's commitment to minimalism resulted in some controversy, especially regarding his construction of a private residence that had virtually no exterior windows. Sink's interpretation of organic architecture also influenced the interiors—furnishings and design in general—of his work. Airy interior courtyards and expansive atriums often appeared in Sink's later designs.

Personal life Sink married Ann Breese in 1948. The couple had three children: Carol Patterson, Mark Sink and Jennifer Freeman. Sink was an active member of the Denver Art Commission and served as its chairman on at least one occasion. Sink also served on various architectural/design committees in the region. He was a prominent (if not founding) member of Rocky Mountain rally subculture and participated in various races, winning numerous awards. Sink was elected the Colorado SCCA executive prior to 1959.

Sink died on April 12, 2013. He was 89 years old.

Selected works

+ Charles Sink Architectural Projects Year Project name Location Image 1950 Andrews Black Residence 4700 S. Dahlia Street, Arapahoe County 1953 Sink Residence 1000 E. Stanford Avenue, Englewood, CO 1955 Zeckendorf Plaza 10 W. 14th Ave. Pkwy. Denver, CO (with Pei) 1964 Colorado Game, Fish & Parks Dept. Headquarters Remodeling Colorado 1964 Mesa College Library Grand Junction, CO 1965 J. Scott Prefab Vacation House Colorado 1965 McBride Vail Clock Tower Building Vail, CO 1966 Republic National Bank Englewood, CO 1968 One Cheesman Place Denver, CO 1968 1st Commercial Building Cherry Creek, CO 1968 Jane Dobbins Pies (Unimark International) Pasadena, CA 1969 BMC Showroom, NY (Unimark International) New York 1969 Cherry Creek Office Building 3003 E. 3rd, Denver, CO 1969 Vail/Lions Head Centre Vail, CO 1969 Parks Restaurant & Gondola Ski Shop Vail, CO 1970 Great Western United Office (Unimark International) Denver, CO 1970 Reliable Parking Garage 1735 Stout, Denver, CO 1970 Health Facilities Building Denver, CO 1970 Cheesman 2 Denver, CO 1970 Terrace House Condominiums Snowmass, CO 1970 Aycrigg Residence 4950 S. El Camino Drive, Littleton, Arapahoe County 1971 Copper Mountain Restaurant Copper Mountain, CO 1971 Copper Mountain Day Center Copper Mountain, CO 1972 Charles Sink Residence 4300 E. Mansfield Avenue, Cherry Hills, CO 1972 Summit House Condominium Copper Mountain, CO 1972 Medical Office Building and Parking Garage Denver, CO 1972 Summit House East Copper Mountain, CO 1974 McNichols Sports Arena Denver, CO 200px 1974 University of Colorado Colorado Springs, CO 1975 Beaver's Condominium/Beaver Village Winter Park, CO 1975 Skyland Park Pool Remodel Denver, CO 1975 RTD Platte Bus Maintenance Facility 31st and Ringsby Court, Denver, CO 1975 Auraria Science Building Denver, CO 1976 Ted Strauss Tennis Court Colorado 1977 Winnipeg Sports Arena Winnipeg, Manitoba 1977 RTD Alameda Bus Maintenance Facility Remodel Denver, CO 1977 Corbin Retail Store Evergreen, CO 1977 Caswell Silver Residence N.E. Corner Ellsworth and Dahlia, Denver, CO 1978 Denver Federal Center Remodel Building 40, Denver, CO 1978 Dakota Hill Project Grape Street and Dakota Ave, Denver, CO 1978 Gunnison County Courthouse Gunnison, CO 1978 Goemex SOCO Plaza Denver, CO 1978 The Ridges (with Don Fleisher) Grand Junction, CO 1978 Entrada Housing (with Don Fleisher) Grand Junction, CO 1978 Xerox Inverness Office Building Inverness, CO 1978 Mountain States Employers Council Colorado 1978 UNLV Sports Arena Las Vegas, NV 1979 Summerville Housing (with Don Fleisher) Grand Junction, CO 1979 Motorola Building Inverness, CO 1980 183 Inverness Drive Inverness, CO 1980 The Ridges Housing Grand Junction, CO 1981 1900 Grant Office Building 1900 Grant St, Denver, CO 1981 St. Mary's Parish Project 6th & Grant, Denver, CO 1982 Hamilton Trade Centre/Sports Arena Ontario, Canada 1986 Sink Residence 1050 S. Franklin Street, Denver, CO 1993 San Jose Arena 525 West Santa Clara St. San Jose, CA200px