This exact replica of the stunning National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is found in the Visitor's Center. It not only represents the buildings of the facility, it also provides a view of the landscape.
This is just a wonderful structure and free for the public to enjoy and explore. In addition to the stunning architecture and scenery, there are many educational exhibits inside free of charge to the public. (
visit link) The Visitor Center is open generally from 9 am to 4 pm daily.
There is an alcove dedicated to Architect I.M. Pei. I have transcribed some of the plaques. The read as follows:
"SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BUILDING
The Mesa Laboratory has made its mark on modern architecture. Stylistically, Pei's building remains impossible to pigeon hole, while its influence is visible everywhere in the broken, complex geometries of contemporary buildings. The building and its site have captured the public imagination, often appearing in documentaries and futuristic movies, like 'Sleeper.' Above all, Mesa Laboratory is a unique architectural creation--a building that still appears unique and modern decades after its completion. In 1997, the NCAR Mesa Laboratory received the AIA Colorado 25-Year Award for its ability to "withstand the test of time and still function in its original capacity." Pei sums up the building's impact neatly. "The shapes have been cribbed time and time again. But the spirit of the NCAR building is in context, in the site."
THE MESA LABORATORY
The Mesa Laboratory, headquarters of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), is considered by many to be a modern architectural masterpiece. The NCAR site was designed by world-renowned architect I. M. Pei. Construction of the unique concrete and stone building was completed in 1966.
Usually described as "futuristic," the Mesa Laboratory also has been compared to a medieval fortress, a Spanish castle, and a modern-day Stonehenge. Pei considers the Mesa Laboratory to be one of his personal favorites and a major turning point in his illustrious career.
I.M. PEI (IEOH MING PEI)
I.M. Pei is one of the foremost architects of our time. In Chinese, leoh Ming means "to shine brightly," which aptly describes Pei's career. In the past 50 years, Pei has designed more than 50 major buildings around the world, ranging from industrial skyscrapers to major museums. He has won countless awards. The Bank of Chins, the Louvre Pyramid, and the Javitts Center in New York City are among his most well-known designs. To this day, Pei still participates in design work with both Pei Cobb Freed and Partners and Pei Partnership Architects--the firm started by his 2 sons.
Pei was born in Canton, China, in 1917 and moved to the United States in 1935 to study engineering and architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Harvard School of Design. Pei studied under famous Bauhaus designers Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer. Though not a "functionalist," Pei does acknowledge Breuer's influence on his strong interest in "light, texture, and shadow" -- all very apparent in the NCAR design.
INFLUENCES
Pei describes the early days of work on the Mesa Laboratory commission in almost spiritual terms. He spent a great deal of time with Walt Roberts. He hiked it at all times of the day. He picnicked there. In the end, Pei saw that his challenge was to create a man-made structure the could live up to the immensity of the setting without competing with it.
Pei loved the Inca site of Ollantaytambo and the monolithic stone remains of Stonehenge. Their combination of natural and man-made beauty led Pei to attempt a comparable achievement in the vocabulary of modern architecture. A trip to Mesa Verde in Colorado inspired Pei and convinced him to use indigenous building materials to reflect the natural setting. Stone quarried in Lyons, Colorado was used exclusively in the building of the Mesa Laboratory. The center's kiva staircase, elemental forms, and unique window designs -- irregularly placed and shaped keyholes -- all owe their origins to Mesa Verde."