VCU Monroe park Campus, near the Compass plaza.

Located in Richmond, Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a public research university founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College. The college became the Medical College of Virginia (MCV) in 1854. In 1968, the Virginia General Assembly merged MCV with the Richmond Professional Institute (RPI), to create what is today's Virginia Commonwealth University. This history is embedded into VCU’s seal, which consists of the iconic Egyptian building and the two schools’ names.

Today VCU consists of 13 schools and one college, and The VCU Health System supports the university's health care education, research and patient care. VCU also has an independent campus in Doha, Qatar, mainly hosting art and design bachelor degree educations.

VCU provides degrees for more than 31,000 students. Around 85% of the students are in-state, 9% are out-of state, and 6% are international. VCU is one of the public universities to have the highest percentage of non-White students in the United states. Demographically, other than international students, the student body is 51% white, 15% African American, 12% Asian, and 7% Hispanic. Recent years have also seen an increase in the number of Chinese international students, as the university is actively expanding the enrollment to east Asia, and setting up exclusive staffs for Asian international student affairs. There are around 400 Chinese students and visiting scholars at the university as of 2016.

VCU is designated as "R1: Doctoral University - Highest Research Activity" by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. According to the 2016 U.S. News & World Report, VCU is classified as a Tier 1 University with an overall national rank of No. 156, and No. 84 among all public colleges and universities. Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts (VCUarts) is ranked as the No. 1 public university school of arts and design in the country (and tied as No. 2 among public & private institutions) by U.S. News & World Report in 2017. The VCU Brandcenter (the School of Business' graduate program) in advertising has also been ranked first in the nation by Creativity Magazine. VCU's Masters of Science in Health Administration program was ranked second by Modern Healthcare. The University's Health System has twice been named one of the Solucient Top 100 Hospitals in the United States by Solucient Corporation. VCU's athletic teams compete in Division I of the NCAA and are collectively known as the VCU Rams. They are members of the Atlantic 10 Conference.

VCU has two main campuses in Richmond: the Monroe Park Campus, located west of downtown Richmond, and the MCV Campus in the urban center. VCU campuses take up a significant part of Richmond city, and the students make up around 15 percent of the city’s population.

Monroe Park Campus, blended into the city blocks.

Named after the city park, the 90.6-acre Monroe Park Campus houses most of VCU's general education facilities, and is situated on the eastern end of the Fan district. Prior to the merger of the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia, the campus was the home to the entire Richmond Professional Institute. The campus has a mix of modern and vintage buildings, with over 40 structures built before 1900.

Franklin Street VCU section. Including Office of The Vice President.

For sightseeing visitors and the aesthetic eyes, The VCU section of Franklin Street can provide a scenic walk. The section begins at the intersection of Franklin Street and Belvedere Street, and ends at the intersection of Franklin Street and North Harrison Street. It connects to the beginning of Monument Avenue. The half-mile walk features Monroe Park, garden landscapes, trees, historic and stylish buildings, churches, the House of the University President, and the Anderson Gallery. Anderson Gallery hosts student and faculty shows year round, including the VCUarts’ thesis exhibitions. It is one of the best place to experience the highlights of VCUarts.

Pollak building, a rare Blutalist example in Richmond.

The Pollak Building, located on North Harrison Street, was named for VCUarts founder Theresa Pollak in 1971. It hosts the headquarter of VCUarts, and several design programs. Pollak Building is one of the hidden architectural gems in Richmond, being one of the few Brutalist buildings in the city. Pollak building also has a rooftop garden where visitors can enjoy the surroundings of sunshines, vegetations, and the panoramic view of Monroe Park Campus.

ICA under construction in 2017.
First image shows ICA office alongside with the Depot, a building converted from a train station.

The Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA), build by Steven Holl and associates, is planned to open in 2017. ICA is located at an important crossroads corner location of Belvidere Street and Broad Street, leading the city’s Art District area development. Aimed as the city’s most significant noncollecting contemporary art museum with an international reputation, ICA will not only boosts VCU’s, but also Richmond’s reputation in contemporary art exhibitions. It is also a symbolic link between Monroe Park Campus with MCV Campus.

VCU James Branch Cabell Library. A building influenced by Neoclassical architecture (before renovation).

After the 2016 renovation, James Branch Cabell Library becomes one of the largest libraries in Virginia. The library has extensive and comprehensive collections in art, science, business, editorials, local documents, and many other fields. It has one of the largest book art collections and the fifth largest graphic novel and comic book collections in the United States. The libraries hosts 2.16 million visitors each year, it is also open to public during daytime hours.

Monroe Park itself is the oldest city park in Richmond city, founded in 1851. It marks the east end of the historical Fan district — a historic, late 19th-century neighborhood adjacent to downtown Richmond. Monroe Park is a 7.5 acres park in pentagonal shape, surrounded by VCU residence halls, VCU da Vinci center, Altria Theatre, and several churches. The park is currently under renovation, to improve its lighting and other public facilities. It is planned to reopen in 2018.

The exotic Altria theatre.

Altria theatre is located next to Monroe Park. Originally built for Shriners of the Acca Temple Shrine in 1927, the building stands itself out from the surroundings with the exotic, castle-like middle-east architecture style, and luxury decorations. It was acquired by Richmond city in the 1940s, and became a theatre in 1995. Other than hosting musicals, concerts and comedies, the theatre also hosts various VCU events including graduation ceremonies.

The Fine Arts Building, located in Broad Street, is a massive building hosting the departments of Craft and Material Studies, Kinetic Imaging, Painting and Printmaking, and Sculpture and Extended Media. It frequently features public large-scale installations, live musics, seminars and conferences from students, faculties and visiting artists.

The Stuart C. Siegel Center, also in Broad Street, is the home court of the VCU basketball teams.The 7500-seat arena was opened in 1999, and has witnessed a 85 percent home court winning. The NCAA basketball games are popular local events, while the site is also used for volleyball games and concerts.

Additional Gallery

Location:
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, Virginia 23284
VCU Student Commons:
907 Floyd Ave, Richmond, VA 23284

Contact:
(804) 828-0100

Website:
http://www.vcu.edu

弗吉尼亚联邦大学（VCU）

Sarah Bice · July 29, 2017

English version

VCU Monroe Park Campus（门罗公园校区），Compass广场附近区域。

弗吉尼亚联邦大学（Virginia Commonwealth University, VCU）是一所公立的研究性大学，并坐落在里士满市区内。VCU建立于1838年，最初是汉普顿—悉尼（Hampden–Sydney）学院的医学分部。该学院在1854年成为了弗吉尼亚医科学院（MCV）。在1968年，弗吉尼亚议会决定将MCV和里士满职业技术学院（RPI）合并，建立了如今的弗吉尼亚联邦大学。这一段历史被整合到了VCU的校徽之中，两所前身学院的名字并列在学校标志性的埃及大楼的图案上下。

如今的VCU包括了13个院系和一所学院。同时，VCU健康系统支撑着学校的健康教育，研究以及疾病治疗。VCU在卡塔尔首都多哈也有一个独立的校区，主要提供艺术和设计类的本科教育。

VCU拥有超过31,000名学生。大概85%的学生来自弗吉尼亚州内，9%来自美国其他地区，6%是国际学生。VCU是美国境内公立大学里面少数族裔学生比例最高的高校之一。在人口上，除了国际学生外，VCU的学生里面51%为白人，15%为黑人，7%为拉丁美洲裔。近年来，来自中国的国际学生数量持续上升，VCU也不遗余力地在东亚地区展开招生，并且设置了专门处理亚洲学生事物的职员。2016年，VCU大概有400名来自中国的留学生和访问学者。

VCU被卡内基高校机构分类认定为“R1：博士级研究型大学”。根据2016年的美国及世界新闻网（U.S. News & World Report）排行榜，VCU被划定为第一梯队的大学，VCU在美国境内综合排名156名，并且在公立学院中排行84名。2017年，弗吉尼亚联邦大学艺术学院（VCUarts）是美国境内排名第一的公立艺术学院，并且在全美所有艺术学院里面排名并列第二。VCU Brandcenter 的广告专业（VCU商学院的研究生专业之一）被创意杂志（Creativity Magazine）列为全美第一。医学院的健康管理研究生被当代医学（Modern Healthcare）列为全美第二。VCU的医院及健康管理系统两度被Solucient公司列为全美最好的100所医院之一。VCU的篮球队，VCU Rams，是NCAA美国高校联盟里面的第一梯队，并且是大西洋顶尖十名的成员之一。

VCU在里士满有两个校区：位于市区西部的门罗公园校区（Monroe Park Campus），以及位于市中心的MCV校区。VCU的校区占据了相当显著的里士满市区比例，其学生数量也占据了市区内15%的人口。

由城市的门罗公园（Monroe Park）命名，占地90.6英亩的门罗公园校区坐落在Fan居住区的东部，包括了VCU多数的普通教育学院。在里士满职业技术学院（RPI）和MCV合并之前，门罗公园校区包括了整个RPI校园。如今的门罗公园校区包含了历史和现代的建筑，超过40栋建筑修建于1900年之前。

富兰克林街（Franklin Street）VCU段。包括副校长办公室楼。

对于观光者和带有审美眼光的人来说，富兰克林街（Franklin Street）的VCU段提供了一段景色秀丽的道路。这一个区段从Franklin Street和Belvedere Street交汇的路口开始，到Franklin Street和North Harrison Street交汇的路口结速，并连通纪念大道（Monument Avenue）。这一段半英里的路程包括了门罗公园以及数个花园，同时还包括了大量的行道树，历史性的精致建筑，教堂，校长办公室，以及安德逊艺术馆（Anderson Gallery）。Anderson Gallery常年展览来自VCUarts的教师和学生作品，包括了研究生毕业展。这个艺术馆是了解VCUarts的亮点作品的最佳通道之一。

Pollak大楼，拥有在里士满市区内罕见的粗野主义建筑风格。

落成于1971年的Pollak（不是波洛克／Pollock！）大楼（Pollak Building）坐落在North Harrison街上，并以VCUarts的创办人Theresa Pollak命名。这是VCU艺术学院的总部，并且是数个设计学院所在之地。Pollak大楼是里士满市内的隐藏建筑宝藏之一，是该地区内为数不多的粗野主义（Brutalism）风格建筑，受到来自柯布西耶建筑风格的影响。大楼还有一个屋顶花园，可以观赏门罗公园校区的全景。

正在建造中的ICA，拍摄于2017年。ICA办公室在the Depot旁边，一栋由旧火车站改建的楼房。

VCU当代艺术中心（The Institute for Contemporary Art, ICA）由史提芬·霍尔（Steven Holl）建筑事务所设计，计划在2017年落成。ICA坐落在Belvidere Street和Broad Street交界之处，引领着里士满城市艺术区的发展。ICA的目标是成为作为州内，乃至国际知名的非永久藏品艺术馆。该中心不仅能大幅提高VCU，乃至整个里士满在当代艺展上的地位，同时也是一个连接门罗公园校区和MCV校区的象征性节点。

James Branch Cabell图书馆。一座带有新古典主义风格的建筑（在改建之前）。

在2016年的扩建完成后，James Branch Cabell图书馆成为了弗吉尼亚州内最大的图书馆之一。这个图书馆有全面而深入的藏书类别，包括了科学，艺术，商科，期刊，本地文献等众多类别。图书馆拥有北美地区最大的艺术图书收藏之一，并且拥有全美第五大漫画和漫画小说收藏。James Branch Cabell图书馆每年的访问人数超过200万，而且图书馆在白天也向公众开放。

门罗公园本身是里士满市区内最古老的城市公园，建立于1851年。这个公园是里士满历史悠久的Fan居住区的东部起点，占地7.5英亩。公园周围是VCU的学生宿舍，达芬奇中心（VCU da Vinci center），Altria剧院，以及数个教堂。门罗公园现正处于翻修改造过程之中，旨在改善公园的灯光及其他公共设施。公园计划在2018年重新开放。

风格独特的Altria剧院。

Altria剧院位于门罗公园旁边。该建筑落成于1927年，最初为阿卡寺神社成员（Shriners of the Acca Temple Shrine，一个社会组织）的活动中心。正因如此，该建筑的风格和周边楼房明显不同，它是一座城堡一样的大楼，并大有明显的阿拉伯建筑风格和豪华的外部装横。里士满市政府在20世纪40年代购置了该建筑，并且在1995年将它改造成为了如今的Altria剧院。除了举办音乐会和歌剧外，该剧院也频繁举办VCU的活动，包括毕业典礼等。

坐落在Broad Street街上的艺术系大楼（Fine Arts Building）是一动庞大的建筑，里面有艺术学院的雕塑系，绘画系，动态影像系，以及工艺材料系等。大楼频繁举办向大众开放的大型装置展览，音乐会，研讨会和艺术峰会，由艺术系的老师，学生和访问艺术家提供内容。

同样坐落在Broad Street街上的Stuart C. Siege体育中心是VCU篮球队的主场。场馆落成于1999年，能容纳7500人。VCU篮球队在此的主场胜率达到了 85%，作为美国高校职业篮球联盟的一员，VCU球队的比赛一直是本地的热门活动。Stuart C. Siege体育中心痛死也举办排球赛和演唱会等活动。

更多图片：

学校位置:
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, Virginia 23284
VCU学生事务中心:
907 Floyd Ave, Richmond, VA 23284

联系电话:
(804) 828-0100

网站:
http://www.vcu.edu

Shockoe Bottom城市社区

Sarah Bice · July 28, 2017

English Version

从Church Hill观望的里士满城市天际线，近处为Shockoe Bottom, 远处为市中心。

Shockoe Bottom是里士满市区内历史最悠久的区域之一，这里的街区肌理仍然在很大程度上保留了陆军上校William Mayo在1737年作的里士满城市规划。Shockoe Bottom在里士满市中心和Church Hill（直译“教堂山”）之间，沿着James River（詹姆斯河）分布。它是一个长条型的城市社区，并且是如今市区内一个富有活力的居住，餐饮和夜生活娱乐中心。

在历史上，Shockoe Bottom是里士满的交通，经济和工业枢纽。随着弗吉尼亚州的州府搬迁至里士满，这一区域在18世纪末期开始发展。很快，这里就变成了一个繁忙的城市交汇之处，融合了来自铁路，运河，城市和旧Mayo马车桥的交通。值得一提的是，旧Mayo马车桥如今仍有桥墩留存。这些桥墩就在现今的14街跨河大桥之下，并且可以在布朗岛（Browns Island）步行桥上观看。18到19世纪的Shockoe Bottom是里士满的烟草业中心，同时这里也在美国历史上的奴隶交易里扮演了重要地位，直到内战结速为止。奴隶贸易带来的利润催生了美国南部的富裕白人阶层，并推动了里士满的经济。在战前，市内的15街被誉为南方的华尔街。

然而，在1865年4月，里士满被北方联军收复的前夜，原来的Shockoe Bottom区域被彻底摧毁了。撤退的南方邦联军点燃了这里的烟草仓库，大火从Shockoe Bottom开始蔓延，最终烧毁了当年25%的里士满城区。Shockoe Bottom在战后被迅速重建，建成了大部分保存至今的历史城区。战后的Shockoe Bottom仍然是里士满乃至美国南部的烟草业及交通中心，同时附近的美国联邦政府机构也为这里的商业带来了多样性。在建筑学上说，战后重建的建筑大多数属于英式意大利风格和维多利亚风格的商业变种，进入20世纪初，这里也加入了装饰艺术风格的建筑。Shockoe Bottom的烟草业最终在1960年前后被废弃，社区一度萧条。它的重新激活则发生在1980年之后，由数个艺术馆牵头，包括如今的1708艺术馆和Artspace艺术中心。

许多历史上的烟草仓库，包括不少拥有装饰艺术风格的个体，如今被改建成为了loft住宅。

如今，Shockoe Bottom的建筑主要用于饭店，零售商业，办公和居住的用途。近年来区内还增设了一个农贸市场。该区域仍然是里士满的休闲艺术区的一部分，它离现在的艺术中心Plant Zero很近，并且也拥有自己的阁楼式公寓（loft）和工作室式住宅（home studio）。一些旧的闲置烟草仓库仍然屹立在区域内，告诉着过往人流该地乃至整个里士满的多层历史印记。Shockoe Bottom如今有很多酒店式公寓，让其成为了一个便利而设施良好的城市居住区。这里也有不少出名的高品质餐馆，包括拥有河岸餐厅和酒吧的Boathouse at Rocketts Landing。其他出名餐馆包括Havana ‘59，Bottoms Up Pizza，River City Diner，Station 2，和Millie’s Diner等。Shockoe Bottom区域内的公共社区是一个运河公园。在这里，人们可以近距离参观城市的工业结构，尤其是那个火车站附近的著名的Shockoe Bottom五层立交桥 — 三条铁路和两条高速在此层叠，延伸到巨大的防洪墙的内外。新建筑和老建筑，殖民地风格和工业风格，大体量结构和小型空间，这些不同建筑风格的融合打造出Shockoe Bottom独特的空间美感。Shockoe Bottom同时也离Church Hill很近，在那里，人们可以观赏到整个里士满天际线的风光，包括了山上的一个微型自由女神像。

巨大的城市防洪墙，保护了Shockoe Bottom盘地和里士满市区不受詹姆斯河的周期性洪水的侵袭。

街区及餐馆照片

ENG

Shockoe Bottom

Sarah Bice · July 21, 2017

中文版

View of Shockoe Bottom and downtown Richmond from Church Hill.

Shockoe Bottom is one of Richmond city’s oldest neighborhoods, as the street blocks and zonings remains largely identical to Colonel William Mayo's initial city plan of Richmond in 1737 . Shockoe Bottom locates between downtown Richmond and Church Hill, along the James River, creating a long slip riverside neighborhood. Today, the area is a bustling hub for city living, cuisine and nightlife.

Historically, Shockoe Bottom was a main transportation hub for Richmond city. The traffics, combining with the location, have established the area as the city's industrial and commercial center. Shockoe Bottom began developing in the late 18th century following the move of the state capital to Richmond. Soon the neighborhood became the busy intersection of railways, river and canal traffics, and city roads, including the old Mayo’s bridge. This wagon and pedestrian bridge was a key feature contributing to the neighborhood's thriving. And today, its remaining piers are still sitting next to the modern 14 Street bridge, which can be observed from Browns Island city park. Shockoe bottom was the center of Richmond’s and southern America's tobacco industry, It also played a major role in slavery in the United States before the end of the Civil War. Profits from the slave trades fueled the creation of wealth for Southern whites and drove the economy in Richmond, leading 15th Street to be known as "Wall Street of the South" before the war.

The mixed intersection of highways and railways near Main Street Train Station.

However, the original Shockoe Bottom was completely destroyed on the eve of the fall of Richmond to the Union Army in April 1865. The evacuating Confederate forces set fire to the tobacco warehouses. The fire spread from Shockoe Bottom, eventually destroyed 25% of the whole Richmond city. Shockoe Bottom was quickly rebuilt after the war, forming much of its present historic building stock. It was still the center of tobacco industry and railway intersections, while its proximity to many downtown federal government buildings also added diversity to the business. Architecturally, many of the buildings constructed during the rebuilding period are a commercial variant of the Italianate style. Coming to 19th and early 20th century, Art Deco and Victorian style buildings were added. The tobacco industry was eventually abandoned in the 1960s, followed by the decades-long decline of this ares. Shockoe Bottom was revitalization in the 1980s, lead by the stationing of several art galleries—incluidng what would be today’s 1708 Gallery and Artspace.

Many historical tobacco warehouses and Art Deco style buildings are converted to lofts.

Today, the buildings in Shockoe Bottom are primarily restaurants, shops, offices, and apartments. A farmer’s market was also built in recent years. Shockoe Bottom is still part of the city’s recreational and creative area, being closed to Plant Zero—the current art center near downtown across James River. Some old unused tobacco warehouse still remains, reminding the passenger’s about the area’s and Richmond city’s history. Shockoe Bottom now has many high-end lofts, studios, and serviced apartments, making it a convenient and well-developed spot for urban living. This area also hosts several finest restaurants of the city, including the Boathouse at Rocketts Landing—featuring waterfront dinings and bars, as well as Havana ‘59, Bottoms Up Pizza, River City Diner, Station 2, and Millie’s Diner. A canal city park was added in the 1990s after the completion of the city's floor wall. In this highlighted area, people can walk around the old canals and admire the city's industrial and transportation complexes, especially the famous five-deck traffic intersection near the Main Street Train Station, This intersection has three railways and two highways, spreading inside and outside the massive concrete flood walls. The mix between old and new, colonial and industrial, massive and delicate, gives this area a unique architectural aesthetic. Shockoe Bottom is also close to Church Hill, another historical, well-maintained and charming neighbourhood, where one can observe the whole downtown Richmond city alongside with the unique miniature Statue of Liberty.

The floor wall that keeps Shockoe Bottom basin and Richmond downtown safe from Jame River's periodical flooding.

richmond city

Virginia Commonwealth University and Monroe Park Campus