Salt Lake City makes its mark on the global architecture map

The Salt Lake City skyline is unique among metropolitan cities in the United States in that it places modern architecture against the imposing Wasatch mountains. It is in the heart of the American West, and the striking landscape and juxtaposition of nature and concrete are the catalyst for growth in what locals often call ‘Small Lake City.’
The city centre is only a few miles from world-class ski resorts, mountain bike trails, and protected land. While many outdoor enthusiasts call Salt Lake City home, it also draws a young, forward-thinking, and educated workforce. Tech companies in particular are flocking to Utah. The state is home to more than 4,000 startups and was recently named one of the top locations in the United States for online business. With the help of the area known as Silicon Slopes just south of Salt Lake, Utah is the third fastest growing state in the nation.
Utah welcomes more than 23 million visitors to national parks each year and also serves as a cultural hub and host to the annual Sundance Film Festival, which brings in film stars and cinema lovers from around the world. The George S and Dolores Dore Eccles Theater, completed in 2016, is Utah’s first world-class performing arts theatre. It will both enhance the film festival experience but also bring first-run award-winning touring Broadway musicals to Utah year round.
Since hosting the successful 2002 XIX Olympic Winter Games, Salt Lake City has embraced skyscrapers and unique modern structures — and this architectural boom hasn’t slowed. The Natural History Museum of Utah, which marries nature with the manmade, continues to inspire many projects. GSBS Architects/Ennead Architects built this iconic museum with mother nature in mind. The structure is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certified building that seamlessly integrates state-of-the-art design ideas, and it has successfully paved the way for all that is coming to Salt Lake City.
Read on to see the projects that are putting Utah on the global architectural playing field.
Planned completion is not till 2024, but the 78-gate airport is expected to be LEED Gold certified and serve as a benchmark for environmentally responsible aviation hubs
The 2,500-seat Eccles Theater by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects is a contemporary playhouse that quickly became Salt Lake City’s premier entertainment venue
The building has seamlessly integrated the history of downtown’s Main Street with a peek at the city’s vibrant future
650 Main by Patrinely Group is one of the city's upcoming projects. Early iterations of this light-filled class A office space include a dog park and an outdoor market.
The building adds more than 320,000 sq. ft of prime office space to downtown Salt Lake (that the city is in dire need of)
Block 67 by The Ritchie Group is a mixed-use space and a welcome planned addition to the Salt Lake City skyline. In total, the development will add more than 1.7 million square feet of office, residential, hospitality, and retail space.
A food container park is just what this area of Salt Lake City needs. Designed by MJSA Architecture, Food Alley’s renovated spaces and new construction are expected to bring an intimate and creative dining destination to the city.
Five to eight of the restaurant spaces will be reserved for local refugees to develop food businesses. In addition to gentrifying the area, Food Alley is also expected to add 700 jobs. Completion is slated for 2019.
Designed by HDR, the 75-bed Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital is expected to be one of the most advanced rehabilitation facilities in the nation and will serve as a catalyst for the modernization/re-development of the renowned University of Utah health science campus.
The Exchange by The Domain Companies is a mixed-use space boasting 412 residential units, 20,000 sq. ft of street-front retail space, and most notably “The Shop at Salt Lake City” — an innovative coworking space. As a business accelerator, The Exchange will stimulate community engagement and entrepreneurship. It will be a welcome addition to the city’s civic campus, come completion in 2020.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
‘Dr Tetris’ on the biggest ever iteration of the puzzle in London
Tetris comes to 360-degree, 23,000 sq ft, 16k LED screens in London; Craig McLean speaks to Henk Rogers, the man who’s kept the game alive
By Craig McLean Published
-
Hot news: Claridge’s Bakery is set to open this summer
Claridge’s, London’s grand dame of hotels, announces the opening of its very own bakery, led by British baker Richard Hart
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
New Superhouse show captures the rebellious spirit of Dan Friedman’s Manhattan apartment
In the late 1970s, graphic designer and artist Dan Friedman transformed his apartment into a Day-Glo laboratory of ideas. Now, a new exhibition at Superhouse in New York revisits his vibrant, rebellious world
By Ali Morris Published
-
On the shores of Discovery Bay, this wooden house is the ultimate waterside retreat
Dekleva Gregorič’s Discovery Bay House is a structured yet organic shelter that blends perfectly into the surrounding Pacific Northwest landscape
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
The 10 emerging American Midwest architects you need to know
We profile 10 emerging American Midwest architects shaking up the world of architecture - in their territory, and beyond
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
A light-filled New York loft renovation magics up extra space in a deceptively sized home
This New York loft renovation by local practice BOND is now a warm and welcoming apartment that feels more spacious than it actually is
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
Inside Bell Labs, the modernist vision behind Severance's minimalist setting
We explore the history of Bell Labs - now known as Bell Works - the modernist Eero Saarinen-designed facility in New Jersey, which inspired the dystopian minimalist setting of 'Severance'
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Zaha Hadid Architects’ new project will be Miami’s priciest condo
Construction has commenced at The Delmore, an oceanfront condominium from the firm founded by the late Zaha Hadid, ZHA
By Anna Solomon Published
-
A West Austin house invites you to commune with nature
Westview Residence by Alterstudio, a West Austin house among trees, makes the most of large windows and open-air decks in a verdant setting
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Apple’s new Miami store employs the principles of biophilic design
Apple’s first mass-timber store connects shoppers to nature while echoing the Art Deco architecture of Miami
By Anna Solomon Published
-
The World Monuments Fund has announced its 2025 Watch – here are some of the endangered sites on the list
Every two years, the World Monuments Fund creates a list of 25 monuments of global significance deemed most in need of restoration. From a modernist icon in Angola to the cultural wreckage of Gaza, these are the heritage sites highlighted
By Anna Solomon Published