Virginia Union University Belgian Friendship Building and Bell Tower

Architect: Henri Van de Velde
Dates: 1939-1940
Address: 1500 N. Lombardy Street

Virginia Union University was founded in 1865 and had a campus dominated by grey granite Richardsonian Romanesque buildings. Nestled in this classic collegiate environment is a surprising architectural exception to the rule; the Belgian Building. Designed for the 1939 New York World’s Fair by world renowned modernist and founder of Belgian Art Nouveau Henri Van de Velde, the building was gifted to Virginia Union University by the Belgian government after the Fair’s end. It and its bell tower were shipped to and reassembled in Richmond where it remains today.

As a World’s Fair pavilion, the Belgian Building was designed to represent progressive and modern principles. Its form is a stark and clean rendition of international style. Clad in Belgian tile, the facade speaks to its nationalistic origin and anticipates the development of critical regionalism in architecture. The lower portion of the building, now out of context, does not relate to its site particularly well. A renovation of the building courtesy of SMBW architects has given the building new purpose as the school’s performing and fine arts center.

The bell tower rises from the intersection of the two central masses to a height of 160 feet. Despite the complete lack of consideration the designers gave to Virginia Union University’s campus, the tower seems almost to have been made for it. Its grey cladding seems to reference the stoic Richmond granite used in the university’s early construction. The tower can be seen from nearly everywhere in the campus and falls almost on axis with the original cross campus walkway. The tower can also be seen from areas such as downtown, Monroe Ward, and the Fan. It’s simple, planar surfaces and grill like pinnacle even seem to have anticipated the construction of the Richmond Petersburg turnpike (I-95).

Currently, the university is attempting to raise funds to fabricate a new set of bells for the carillon which has gone without them since the building’s reconstruction. They now have an electronic set of bells in place as a result of the success of the ‘Bells for Peace’ organization’s donation campaign. The original set of bells are still in use at Stanford University’s Hoover Tower.

D.OK.

Photographs: M.F.A.