Selldorf Architects

As a top-ranking school for the arts, Virginia Commonwealth University was in need of a facility that matched the quality of its students and programs, but also one that allowed the school to have a more expanded role both locally and in the global arts community. Located along a busy intersection and at the interface between campus and downtown, Selldorf Architects sought to create an iconic design for the ICA that would 

announce the presence of the school as a center for contemporary art and attract visitors to this new cultural hub. Inside, the 32,000 sf building is composed of a procession of skylight-lit gallery spaces, a lecture hall, a teaching lab, and a reception area with a café. The design is complemented by a new outdoor green space which allows art, learning, and activity to flow into the public realm.