Springhill is a tightly-configured, intown enclave of topographical and architectural contrasts. Tree-shaded streets lined with modest-sized cottages and bungalows meld counter-intuitively with riverside cliffs and modern high rise apartment towers. The neighborhood, which contains the only Old and Historic District in Southside Richmond, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. …
As winter draws to a close, so do a series of projects under construction around central Richmond. From downtown towers to residential infill, they run the gamut of scales and uses. The face of Richmond is changing, perhaps more rapidly than usual, as the back-to-the-city movement happening all across America outlasts its detractors. In this …
This winter, Don O’Keefe and Mario Accordino interviewed architect Walter Parks at his office in Jackson Ward. Since founding his studio in 1993, Parks has worked on projects ranging from single family homes to large, mixed-use structures. He is most well known for the many urban multi-family housing buildings which his firm has designed across …
This article comes to us from guest writer, Robert Winthrop. Winthrop is partner at Winthrop, Jenkins, and Associates, a Virginia based architecture firm specializing in historic renovation. Historic buildings have also been his focus in numerous writings and lectures. As author of The Architecture of Jackson Ward, Cast and Wrought: The Architectural Metalwork of Downtown Richmond, Virginia, …
A controversial new development has been proposed in the East End. The development, commonly known as Pear Street, is sited in Shockoe Bottom at the eastern terminus of Tobacco Row, a street of large tobacco warehouses which has been converted into a mixed use neighborhood. The site is currently zoned for industrial use so …
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 …
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 …
This article addresses the development proposal in Shockoe Bottom unveiled by Mayor Jones in November of last year, which has been headlined by a new baseball stadium. A counter opinion article from Don O’Keefe was posted last week. More information about the Shockoe Bottom plan can be found here: So the mayor wants to build a baseball stadium in Shockoe Bottom with …
Originally Posted on January 4th, 2014. After a slow period during the late aughts, Richmond is building again. Whether through private investments catching the wave of residential development in the city’s center, VCU’s seemingly endless expansion or the city’s own public works projects, it is a pleasure to see cranes mingling with buildings in Richmond. …
Article and photographs by Robert P. Winthrop. As part of a continuing series we are featuring an essay from a guest writer, Robert Winthrop. Winthrop is partner at Winthrop, Jenkins, and Associates, a Virginia based architecture firm specializing in historic renovation. Historic buildings have also been his focus in numerous writings and lectures. As …