The Source for Richmond Architecture and Design Information

Opinion: American Civil War Center in Court End (Museum of the Confederacy)

The former Museum of the Confederacy is an exemplary piece of modernism in Richmond, responding to its site and program critically. Now part of the American Civil War Center, the museum was designed in close proximity to the White House of the Confederacy, one of Richmond’s most significant, and infamous, historic buildings. Given its function …

Opinion: Federal Reserve Bank

Having a landmark architect design in a city has always been an exciting event and the Federal Reserve Bank is no exception. Minoru Yamasaki implemented his often rigid principles without restraint; glass, aluminum and verticality harmonize in a building both sleek and monumental. Interestingly, he refrained from incorporating any arch or cornice elements into the …

Opinion: MeadWestvaco Headquarters

Architect: MSTSD Architects, Atlanta Dates: 2010 Address: 501 South 5th Street Richmond VA When considering the new Meadwestvaco headquarters along the Richmond riverfront, several hugely important positives come to mind. The fact that a large company relocated to the Richmond area is, in and of itself, an achievement. The decision to reject the suburbanity of …

Opinion: Egyptian Buidling

Architect: Thomas S. Stewart Dates: 1845 Address: 1200 E. Marshall Street Richmond VA  We often look at buildings, if only subconsciously, as what we want them to be. In the case of the Egyptian Building, the preserved, ‘un-ruined’ nature, coloring and stereotyped images could easily be perceptually subverted to tackiness, a tawdry example of American …

Opinion: Does Richmond Need a New Coliseum?

The success of the VCU basketball program seems to have enlivened an old debate in Richmond: what should be done about the Coliseum? Should it be renovated to included more amenities? Should it be replaced entirely? A recent Richmond Times-Dispatch article mentioned a number of visitors who think the Coliseum needs to be torn down …