Today, Richmond seems quite the happening place. Because of its universities, and ample stock of old industrial buildings, the place has an urban feel that sometimes feels positively hip. Sadly, that was probably not the case in about 1962, when modernism was the rage elsewhere. Richmond’s staid past is probably why there are not a lot of modernist buildings. Still, on a recent bike ride I did find a few:
I know I need to get a life, but I swear I have been staring at this 1950’s building for at least thirty years. I took this photo last weekend while driving at sixty-five miles an hour. This highway (I-95) has not been called by this name for also about thirty years.
A little off-topic: I got a good shot by bike of these guys on a Saturday afternoon, standing around the Confederate Memorial Chapel in the uptown Richmond Fan district. I wonder if they are locals, or from out of town.
urban bicycle journeys 
Howdy Paco! Can’t believe you missed this famous eyesore at 5316 Markel Road, the Haigh Jamgochian – Markel Building 1962, http://bit.ly/GIgHdR. Don’t know if it qualifies as modernist, exactly, but it looks as if somebody had crumpled it up and thrown it away.
—Jim C.
Thanks for pointing that out, there is a great view of 5316 Markel Road on Google. Wow, what a building.