Institute for Contemporary Art, Virginia Commonwealth University

On the corner of Belvidere and Broad Streets in Richmond, Virginia, the new Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA) defines a gateway to the Virginia Commonwealth University campus on the north and connects with the city’s growing arts district to the south. Designed by Steven Holl Architects, the ICA hosts gallery and performance spaces, offices, a café, and a public sculpture garden.

L’Observatoire International has long had a close collaborative relationship with Steven Holl Architects, developing a unique design process that thoughtfully combines visions for architecture and lighting design. Throughout the new ICA light sources are carefully integrated into the architecture to create a seamless space for art and an inviting atmosphere for community. The lighting becomes an integral but silent player in the space, enhancing the architecture and complementing the Institute’s program.

Working with the rich materiality of the building, its planar and branching geometry, and its ground-level porosity, the lighting helps to position the ICA as an optimal space for the art, a public space where the university and local community come together, and as a beacon that glows at night.