Bath Houses at the Warm Springs Pools # 33 in Virginia’s Favorite Architecture Poll
The Bath Houses at the Warm Springs Pools are featured in an exhibition of the top 100 structures at the Virginia Center for Architecture in Richmond
WARM SPRINGS, VA — The votes are in and the people have spoken. The Virginia Center for Architecture announces today that the Bath Houses at the Warm Springs Pools came in 33rd in a public poll to identify Virginia’s Favorite Architecture. The survey, which garnered nearly 30,000 votes, found that Virginians chose buildings that evoke powerful emotions and memories as their favorites. Universities and Thomas Jefferson claim most of the top 10, with an historic church and an iconic airport thrown into the mix.
“Keeping in mind that favorite doesn’t necessarily mean best, the results make it clear that we forge deep personal connections to architecture,” says Virginia Center for Architecture Executive Director Helene Combs Dreiling, FAIA; “Buildings that hold sentimental value for us are just as meaningful as those that are considered to hold great architectural or historical significance.”
Historians tell us that the Men’s Bath House at the Warm Springs Pools was built in 1761 and the Women’s Bath House followed in 1836. Listed on both the Virginia Landmarks Register (1968) and The National Register of Historic Places (1969), the Bath Houses continue to provide thousands of visitors with the opportunity to “take the waters.”
An exhibition titled Virginia’s Favorite Architecture opens on Thursday, April 10 at the Virginia Center for Architecture and highlights each of the 100 structures identified as Virginia’s most beloved pieces of architecture. The exhibition runs through Oct. 19. The Center is located in the Branch House at 2501 Monument Avenue in Richmond.
- Sweet Briar House, Sweet Briar College, c. 1790 — Joseph Crews
Sweet Briar, Va. - Monticello, c. 1770 — Thomas Jefferson
Charlottesville, Va. - Burruss Hall, Virginia Tech, 1936 — William Carneal and J. Ambler Johnston, AIA of Carneal, Johnston, and Wright, Architects and Engineers
Blacksburg, Va. - LUMENHAUS, Virginia Tech, 2009 — Center for Design Research, Virginia Tech School of Architecture + Design, CAUS
Blacksburg, Va. - The Academical Village, University of Virginia, 1822 — Thomas Jefferson
Charlottesville, Va. - War Memorial Chapel and Pylons, Virginia Tech, 1960 — Roy F. Larson, FAIA of Harbeson, Hough, Livingston, & Larson
Blacksburg, Va. - Washington Dulles International Airport, 1962 — Eero Saarinen and Associates
Chantilly, Va. - Moss Center for the Arts, Virginia Tech, 2013 — Snøhetta
Blacksburg, Va. - Christ Church, 1773 — Col. James Wren
Alexandria, Va. - Poplar Forest, 1809 — Thomas Jefferson
Forest, Va.
About the Top 100
The top 100 structures identified as Virginia’s Favorite Architecture are a diverse mix, spanning a variety of architectural styles, types, and periods. They represent Virginia’s rich history and showcase the state’s many architectural treasures — both innovative and traditional.
Virginia’s Favorite Architecture: By the Numbers
- Thomas Jefferson is the architect appearing most frequently on the list, with 6 structures
- There are 7 places of worship on the list
- Schools and universities own or operate 12 structures on the list
- 1 structure hasn’t even been built yet: The VCU Institute for Contemporary Art
- Nearly all of the structures are cultural destinations: either museums, historic homes, memorials or entertainment venues
- The Richmond region boasts the most structures on the list with 32; the Blue Ridge region claims 23 (with 6 in the top 10); Northern Virginia has 18; the Hampton region has 16; and Central Virginia holds 11
About the Poll
At the end of 2013, the Virginia Center for Architecture and the Virginia Society of the American Institute of Architects conducted a public survey to determine Virginia’s most beloved pieces of architecture. Visitors to vacelebrates.org were invited to choose their favorites from among 250 buildings, bridges, monuments, and memorials. The structures were nominated by architects to represent Virginia’s rich architectural heritage. The “people’s choice” poll was not scientific. “Social media and alumni networks can have a measurable effect on public polls like this one,” says Rhea George, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Virginia Center for Architecture. “We tried to even the playing field a bit by allowing only one set of votes per IP address.”
About the Exhibition
An exhibition titled Virginia’s Favorite Architecture opens on Thursday, April 10 at the Virginia Center for Architecture and highlights each of the 100 structures identified as Virginia’s most beloved pieces of architecture. It is on view at the Virginia Center for Architecture through Oct. 19, 2014. The exhibition was designed by Roberto Ventura with curatorial support from Lauren Bell and Julie Pence.
About the Opening Reception
Virginia’s Favorite Architecture premieres on Thursday, April 10, 2014 at the Virginia Center for Architecture with an Opening Reception from 4:30–7:30 p.m. The reception is free, but space is limited and reservations are recommended. Register online at architectureva.org or by phone to (804) 644-304, ext. 100. Virginia’s Favorite Architecture is on view through Oct. 19, 2014.
About the Guest Curator
Roberto L. Ventura has practiced and taught modern and sustainable design in Virginia and North Carolina for 15 years. A member of a number of local teams earning design awards from AIA Richmond and the James River Green Building Council, his work has also been exhibited nationally through the HOME House Project sponsored by the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art. For the international light art exhibit InLight Richmond 2009, he collaborated with poet Joshua Poteat on the installation “for gabriel,” winning Best in Show.
While maintaining his practice, roberto ventura design studio, Ventura is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Interior Design in the School of the Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University. He has also taught Interior Architecture at the University of North Carolina – Greensboro, and has lectured at the University of Oulu, in Oulu, Finland. Ventura holds a Master’s in Architecture from Miami University and a B.A. in Math and Physics from Albion College. He earned his LEED AP accreditation in 2008 and his NCIDQ certification in 2012.
About Virginia Celebrates Architecture
The Virginia’s Favorite Architecture exhibition is part of a year-long observance called Virginia Celebrates Architecture recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Virginia Society of the American Institute of Architects. Throughout the year, members of the American Institute of Architects in Virginia will join their neighbors and the Virginia Center for Architecture in community exercises intended to instill a greater appreciation for proper stewardship of the Commonwealth’s built and natural environment.
About the Virginia Center for Architecture
The Virginia Center for Architecture is located in the Branch House at 2501 Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia’s historic Fan District. The Center is dedicated to developing the understanding of the power and importance of architecture through programs, exhibitions, and its stewardship of an historic landmark. The Center is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. Learn more at www.architectureva.org.
About the Virginia Society of the American Institute of Architects
The Virginia Society of the American Institute of Architects is a professional association representing nearly 2,500 members. Founded by 5 architects in 1914, the Virginia Society AIA has represented the professional interests of architects and allied professionals in the Commonwealth of Virginia for 100 years. For more information, contact the Virginia Society at (804) 644-3041 or visit www.aiava.org.
###