Steven Holl, world famous architect and winner of the 2011 AIA Gold Medal, unveiled his plan for the new VCU Institute of Contemporary Arts today. The 32 million dollar project is a landmark achievement for Virginia Commonwealth University’s highly rated School of the Arts.
The building will sit at the south west corner of Broad and Belvedere streets, Richmond’s busiest intersection. The design responds to the intersection with a curved wall of weathered zinc and a curtain of plate glass. The other side of the building features projecting bars of space that define a sculpture garden with a water feature and cafe. This softer side of the exterior is meant to relate to the irregular, forking grid of the fan district, which the building borders.
The 38,000 square foot ICA will contain numerous spacious galleries, a large atrium, landscaped sculpture terraces, a 240 seat theatre, and more. Needless to say, the building will be well equipped to host the most ambitious shows and installations from internationally acclaimed artists.
Holl will introduce further ICA drawings and renderings, as well as a series of his signature architectural water colors, at the Meulensteen gallery in New York City on Thursday. The exhibition will travel to the Virginia Center for Architecture later in the year.
ArchitectureRichmond’s own Edwin Slipek, who also serves as architecture critic for Style Magazine, recently interviewed Steven Holl about the ICA and his view on architecture in general. The interview will be published in Style in the coming days. Check back for our continuing coverage of this project.
D.OK.
1 Comment
I hate architectural renderings that show masses of people where no people will ever be. No one will enter this building from the front. The vast majority of student activity and parking is behind it. The front will be tagged with graffiti and need frequent cleaning
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