Virginia Commonwealth University Centre for Contemporary Art

The project is located in Richmond, Virginia, adjacent to the Virginia Commonwealth University campus, and connects the surrounding community with the university. Situated at the intersection of Broad and Belvidere streets, one of Richmond's busiest districts, the building has become a gateway to the university with its inviting open atmosphere. The main entrance is located at the intersection of the performance space and the plaza, adding a vertical Z element to the X-Y axis of the site. Several twisted volumes connect with the bifurcated time concept presented in the galleries, creating striking visual effects. In the world of contemporary art, the notion of parallel times, or bifurcated time, has gained traction. Conventional understandings of duration and historical grand narratives have begun to be questioned. The emerging contemporary art center comprises four galleries, each playing a distinct role. These galleries are highly flexible and can host four independent exhibitions, continuous exhibitions, or any combination. Even if one gallery is closed for installation, circulation to other areas remains unaffected. Visitors can tour the four galleries sequentially via an oversized elevator, eventually spiraling down to the bottom, or begin at the lowest point of the plaza and work upward floor by floor. Concrete beams and wood planks complement concrete floors, producing a distinctive character within the galleries. As flexible spaces, these galleries can accommodate artworks or engineering installations suspended from the floor. Vertical circulation at the ground level connects the galleries, performance space, sculpture garden, and plaza. Walking along the building, one experiences a sequence of spaces that blurs the boundary between the university and the surrounding city, making the ICA a truly public cultural institution.