Virginia Department of Transportation Building, aka Virginia Department of Highways Building and State Highway Commission Building, was erected in 1939. The T-shaped structure is joined to its Annex with a skybridge over Old 14th Street. Carneal, Johnston & Wright designed the building in a style described alternately as “Stripped Classicism,” “WPA Modern,” or Art Deco. […]
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Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles headquarters, a massive block of white concrete and black glass, is next door to the Science Museum of Virginia – quite a contrast in styles. And, true to its function, VDMV is set amid acres of blacktop parking. Name: Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles Location: 2300 West Broad Street Year
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One James River Plaza was built in 1979 by Virginia Power & Electric Company. The utility changed its name to Dominion Resources in 1983 and Dominion Energy in 2017. Their International style headquarters was quite similar to the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, a block south across Kanawha Plaza and built the same year. After
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Westrock-CoStar Building was erected in 2009 by paper/packaging firm MeadWestVaco as its new corporate headquarters. The company later changed its name to WestRock, and leased space in its HQ to CoStar, a real estate company. CoStar has since purchased the building, and announced plans to build a 26-story skyscraper next door. That structure would become
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Institute for Contemporary Art, aka Markel Center, is part of the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Monroe Park Campus. The ultra-modern design is also ultra-environmentally conscious, with green roofs, geothermal heating and cooling, and glass insulating walls combined with recycled metal panels. Name: Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU, Markel Center Location: 601 West Broad Street
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Hailed as a “significant new project” when built, Williams Mullen Center got faint praise from architecture critic Architecture Richmond: “The building’s exterior does not mar the cityscape, but it does fall somewhere short of beauty.” Maybe it’s a matter of taste. Personally, I like the way it plays visually with neighboring James Center and Gateway
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Continental Building seems best known for its next-door neighbors: the crinkled-aluminum Markel Building to the west and the Willow Lawn shopping center to the east. Yet, it’s a surprising (though modest) piece of architecture. The entire three-story building is raised on stilts a la Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye – providing shaded parking. The high arched
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Bank of America Center was built in 1974 as the First & Merchants Bank Building. Name: Bank of America Center Location: 1111 East Main Street Year Completed: 1974 Architect: Welton Becket & Associates Style: International Google Map All images copyright © Kenneth Grant / photos taken October 2019 with Canon 5D Mark iv
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11 Hoyt Street in Downtown Brooklyn is a residential condo skyscraper with a unique wavy white façade of precast concrete panels and drive-through motor court. Designed by Studio Gang architects. Name: 11 Hoyt Street Location: 11 Hoyt Street Year Completed: 2021 Architect: Jeanne Gang Style: Postmodern Wikipedia: 11 Hoyt City Realty: Carter Horsley review
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City Point is a three-tower development in Downtown Brooklyn. City Point Tower I, aka 7 Dekalb, opened in 2015 with retail space and affordable housing. City Point Tower II, aka 1 Dekalb Avenue or 10 City Point, opened in 2016 with market-rate rental apartments. City Point Tower III, aka Brooklyn Point, opened in 2021 as
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