NCAR’s iconic Mesa Lab marks 50th anniversary overlooking Boulder

If the Flatirons are the iconic natural feature dominating the Boulder Valley, it’s very likely that its supreme man-made landmark is a rose-hued edifice on a hill, the National Center for Atmospheric Research that dominates Table Mesa.
The NCAR complex as a visual touchstone works on multiple levels, its modernist design a sympathetic tribute to the unique environment in which it stands, its occupants an example of the innovative, science-based professional culture for which Boulder is wi