The Source for Richmond Architecture and Design Information

Neighborhood Profile: Newtowne West

For a city that prides itself on its network of distinct neighborhoods, perhaps Richmond has paid too little attention to Newtowne West. Then again, its obscurity is as much a function of the infrastructure and topography which surround it as intentional neglect.  This small neighborhood is bound by Broad Street to the south, Lombardy Avenue …

Portfolio: Modernism of Willow Lawn

Willow Lawn Shopping Center opened in Richmond’s Near West End in 1956. The development was a new frontier in the city, giving concrete form to the postwar American Dream of middle class suburbanity. In the mall’s periphery a new type of suburban landscape was being developed. Offices, hotels, and apartments were created, replicating the economic …

Virginia’s Favorite Architecture

Recently, the Virginia Society of the American Institute of Architects conducted an open poll to determine the commonwealth’s most beloved buildings. The result is “Virginia’s Favorite Architecture,” a list of 100 well known structures around the state. Richmond had a deservedly good showing, earning 23 of the overall spots. Here are three more Richmond structures …

Retail Has Come to South Addison

Addison Street has been a main north-south retail corridor of the Fan District for decades, even before its northern portion was renamed “Strawberry Street” in 1978. What is now Strawberry Street has long benefited from a posh clientele while its southern half has been ignored, especially since the Downtown Expressway separated it from Byrd Park …