600 Canal Place

Pickard Chilton and Kendall Heaton Associates
2019
600 Canal Street

Since the turn of the 21st century, downtown’s business district continues to drift ever closer to the James River. Meanwhile, many left-behind structures on East Main Street, that long-comprised the traditional financial district, have become Commonwealth of Virginia office buildings. The newer, still-developing commercial core, concentrated on the periphery of the recently-renovated Kanawha Plaza, now boasts a building that competes with the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond (Minoru Yamasaki, architect; 1978) for architectural preeminence. This is 600 Canal Place, a showy, 22 story shaft of metal and glass that serves Dominion Energy’s office functions. At 417 feet, it is the city’s second tallest building, eclipsed only by the state’s James Monroe Building on North 14th Street at 449 feet.

The 600 Canal Place complex occupies its entire block, defined by West Cary, Canal, South Sixth and South Seventh streets. The building is basically two married structures, an office tower and parking deck. They share little architecturally aside from both coming mostly flush to the public city sidewalk. The Canal Street-facing tower building, which is more highly-detailed than its adjacent, “Plain Jane” parking deck, is dignified with a handsome glass curtain wall. This arcs gracefully outward and rises to a crescendo at the roof line which is sliced diagonally and downward from Seventh Street in the direction of Sixth. From various downtown vantage points, and from Manchester across the river, the effect of this shard-like sculptural gesture is as elegant as it is dramatic. From points west and north the roof line is less pleasing, even unresolved if one looks closely.

At the sidewalk level on the Canal and Seventh street sides, the building is welcoming enough with a clear glass and double-story wall that reveals a sprawling, block-long lobby. Otherwise, the building meets the ground with a thud. This is especially true on the rear, parking structure half of the building. This function isn’t even thinly disguised by its undistinguished opaque glass panels. Adding to the disappointment at sidewalk level are the deck’s entrance and exit openings on Sixth, and Seventh streets, that recall airplane bays on aircraft carriers. Perhaps, if retail functions eventually occupy sidewalk-fronting space along Cary Street, some of the listlessness of the parking structure will be mitigated.

The office tower that Dominion Energy vacated for 600 Canal Place, directly across South Seventh Street is being demolished. A glassy companion office tower to the new building may be built on the site. Perhaps adjustments can be made in the overall composition so that two entire blocks in the new financial district won’t be left lifeless.

ES