This is the first of two guest columns by Edwin Slipek that discuss the planning for the new City Center redevelopment of the Coliseum area.
City Center pitches: A warm-up for the next round of downtown redevelopment (Guest Commentary)
Edwin Slipek
Edwin Slipek is an adjunct instructor in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts and the co-editor of ArchitectureRichmond, an online encyclopedia of regional design.
Architecture Review: VCU’s New STEM Building checks many boxes (Guest Commentary)
The new building’s interior delivers big time. But the exterior, sorry to say, is a clunker amidst its domestic-sized Franklin street neighbors — like an over-sized cruise ship docked at a comparatively diminutive port, say Key West or Dubrovnik.
When Charles III’s Prince’s Institute of Architecture studied downtown Richmond in 1996 (Guest Commentary)
For two weeks in August 1996 the Prince of Wales’ Institute landed in downtown Richmond. While here the students made field studies, engaged with locals, became familiar with downtown’s geography and buildings, and devised an urban design plan for Monroe Ward.
‘This land was your land, this land is our land’: A future English king’s 1860 Richmond visit (Guest Commentary)
What most Richmond palace-watchers probably don’t know is this: while the new king has never seen Richmond, his great-great grandfather, King Edward VII (who reigned from 1901 to 1910 during the Edwardian Age), visited here in October 1860.
Painter Andras Bality: There will be landscapes, and sheep, cows and horses (Guest Commentary)
The 53 sizable oil paintings comprising “Andras Bality: Terroir,” an exhibition at the Reynolds Gallery on West Main Street, provide the viewer not only an accessible, engaging and joyous experience, but collectively represent a stunning tour de force by the local artist.
A Modest Proposal: VCU should acquire the historic Glasgow House for its president’s house (Guest Commentary)
It would add immeasurably to the appeal of spirit of VCU to have its president live immediately adjacent to campus. It would revive a tradition: The president did live on campus until the 1970s when student unrest drove him to find shelter in the posh West End suburbs.
The once and present of the 800 block of East Broad Street (Guest Commentary)
How does a handsome old American burg lose its architectural character? Slowly, or in one swell swoop, depending on the neighborhood and who’s doing the pushing and pulling.
Silver Line Playbook: Riding the new D.C. Metrorail extension to Dulles (Guest Commentary)
For those who prefer Richmond International Airport (RIC) as the point of departure for foreign or domestic travel, the completed Silver Line should enhance Dulles’ lure. Rather than confronting Northern Virginia’s nerve-racking automotive traffic, long-term parking fees, or expensive taxi or Uber costs, Richmond travelers now have another option.
Part 2: Remembering Richmonders who passed in 2022 (Guest Commentary)
Here is the second installment of a bittersweet salute to those in our community we lost last year. Their individual and collective vision, energy, leadership and example enriched the building blocks that make up metropolitan Richmond.
Remembering Richmonders who passed in 2022 (Guest Commentary)
Here is part 1 of a bittersweet salute to those in our community we lost last year. Their individual and collective vision, energy, leadership and example enriched the building blocks that make up metropolitan Richmond.
