Credits: 1 AIA LU | HSW

Calls for the demolition and replacement of Elijah E. Myers’ Gothic Revival masterpiece began in the early twentieth century when the style fell out of fashion. The building was repeatedly threatened until purchased by the state government. Over time, Old City Hall developed a reputation as being an outdated and undesirable workspace. Through a comprehensive renovation, new life was given to this Richmond civic icon, repositioning it as a contemporary workspace. With our deep understanding of existing buildings and innovative preservation approaches, we transformed this National Historic Landmark into a modern high-performance building which seamlessly incorporates new energy-efficient systems into the historic fabric while repairing and rehabilitating the building envelope to improve performance, and restoring the atrium to its original grandeur. Today Old City Hall is a coveted office space, with multiple state agencies vying to be located there.