Steven Holl's ICA Richmond Opens After Seven Years

After seven years of construction and $41 million, the Institute for Contemporary Arts in Richmond, designed by Steven Holl (born 1947), has opened. The 3,800-square-meter building features horizontal cantilevered volumes and vertical twisting forms, with dual fronts: one facing the city, the other opening to a sculpture garden and Forum linked to the university campus. The concept of 'bifurcation' suggests parallel times in contemporary art. The ICA houses four galleries with flexible layouts, a 240-seat auditorium, a 300-square-meter gallery, café, bar, and concept store on the first floor. A garden with bluestone paving, gingko trees, and a reflecting pond serves as a 'Field of Thought'. The second floor includes two Y-shaped galleries and an educational lab; the third floor has a high-ceiling gallery, administrative suite, and boardroom. The building's translucent glass and titanium-zinc skin changes appearance with light, and at night video projections animate the exterior. It is LEED Gold certified, heated and cooled by geothermal wells. The ICA will connect the campus with contemporary artists and support local creative communities.