Denver’s 673-foot spiral observation tower no longer a pipedream

Remember that wild-looking spiral tower proposed for downtown Denver last summer that everyone compared to the Eye of Sauron? It’s actually happening — or at least, it’s a lot closer to happening than anyone expected. The Denver Business Journal reports that the 673-foot observation tower proposed by Shames Makovsky is now in the design and engineering process, with transparent rotating cabins planned to carry passengers up the structure for 360-degree views of the city and the Front Range. Managing Partner Evan Makovsky told DBJ the concept dates back to 2007 and is aimed at boosting tourism and revitalizing a downtown that could use the help.

The tower would rise from what is currently a surface parking lot at 1546 California St. and 1555 Welton St. — just south of the Denver Pavilions and less than a block from 16th Street. At 673 feet, it would become the fourth-tallest structure in Denver and the state, taller than Seattle’s Space Needle (605 feet) and Dallas’ Reunion Tower (561 feet). The design comes from Magnicity, a Paris-based company that builds high-altitude urban attractions around the world; this would be their first spiral tower in North America. Renderings show a sculptural, lattice-wrapped spire capped with an orb, with a plaza base that could host retail, restaurants and art exhibits.

When the concept plan first landed on the city’s desk in June 2025, it raised eyebrows and drew comparisons to everything from a wizard’s staff to a giant barber pole. But Magnicity confirmed shortly after that it had been in direct contact with Denver developers, and Shames Makovsky — which bought the parcel in 2018 for $2.9 million — acknowledged it was “in the very early stages of research and planning.” A year later, the project has clearly progressed well beyond early stages. In a companion article Wednesday, Makovsky also announced the 55-year-old firm is dropping its NAI franchise affiliation after 18 years to operate independently, signaling a renewed focus on Denver development — with the spiral tower as its flagship vision.

Downtown Denver’s 38.9 percent office vacancy rate and the ongoing effort to reimagine 16th Street make the timing either perfect or insane, depending on your level of optimism. But a city that already has a haunted airport, a beer that just turned itself blue and a restaurant where cliff divers jump into a pool next to your enchiladas could probably pull off a 673-foot spiral tower with an orb on top. At the very least, it would give Denver something it’s never really had: a skyline-defining tourist attraction that isn’t a sports stadium.