In 1972, on a nondescript stretch of Midlothian Turnpike, drivers pulled over to gape at a newly reopened Best Products showroom. The store’s brick facade seemed to be peeling off. One passerby rushed in to tell the employees that the building wall was falling down, only to be informed the effect was intentional.
The Peeling Building, as it was known, was designed by a young sculptor-turned-architect named James Wines, and commissioned by Sydney and Frances Lewis, the founders of Richmond-based retailer Best Products. The building created a sensation, pushing Wines and his New York-based practice SITE into the architectural limelight. The Peeling Building kicked off a decade and a half of intense experimentation involving some of the leading architects, graphic designers, and artists of the era.
Now, a half-century later, this remarkable chapter in the history of 20th century American visual culture has come home to Richmond through a new exhibition at the Branch Museum of Design. “Imagining Best Products” highlights the works of architects and graphic designers including Venturi Scott Brown, Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates, Michael Graves, Stanley Tigerman, Charles Moore, Bob Stern, Rob Carter, Tim Priddy, Ivan Chermayeff, and Tom Geismar.
The exhibition covers the architecture and graphic design of Best, as well as unbuilt and speculative designs, including the entries to the 1979-80 “Buildings for Best Products” exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. Original drawings, models, graphics, photography, and film help illustrate this narrative – arguably Virginia’s most important contribution to the history of design since Thomas Jefferson. Students from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design helped research and curate the exhibition. (The exhibition was curated by Don O’Keefe, editor of ArchitectureRichmond.)
“Imagining Best Products” is dedicated to the memory of Frances Lewis (1922-2026) and Edwin Slipek (1950-2025). Both passed away during the planning of this exhibition. Frances Lewis co-founded Best Products in 1957. Active in the business community, civic organizations, and cultural institutions, she was a force for positive change in her adopted city of Richmond for decades.
Edwin “Eddie” Slipek worked at Best Products from 1974 to 1984, rising to become assistant vice president for corporate communications. In that role, he helped lead many innovative initiatives at the intersection of art, business, design, graphics, and public engagement, including some of the projects displayed in the exhibition. Eddie’s years at Best Products were just one chapter in a life filled with love for art, architecture, cities, criticism, history, journalism, theater, travel, friends, family, and the landscapes, people, and stories of Richmond. He helped conceive this exhibition, and was actively involved until his passing.
Eddie was also a co-founder and editor of ArchitectureRichmond. Over nearly 14 years, he contributed more than 100 articles to this publication, illuminating Richmond’s history – architectural and otherwise. Those who would like to learn more about Eddie’s life and work can read this remembrance.
The show runs through June 21st at the Branch Museum of Design. More information can be found on the Branch Museum website.
– ArchitectureRichmond
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