Richmond's potato building gets the love it deserves
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The Markel Building at 5310 Markel Road. Photo: Karri Peifer/Axios
Richmond's baked potato-inspired office building is finally getting the love it deserves, thanks to a roving architecture-loving content creator.
Why it matters: Once maligned as one of the "10 ugliest buildings in the world," The Markel Building is a local treasure and now at least one influencer seems to agree.
Driving the news: D.C.-based real estate agent Joe Himali — who, in his downtime, travels the country highlighting architectural gems — recently made a stop in Richmond.
- He shared, for his 200,000+ followers, the circa 1965 Markel Building and the story behind the office complex designed for its namesake.
- The story, as Richmonders know, is that Markel commissioned local architect (and VCU professor) Haigh Jamgochian in 1962 to design their new HQ
- Jamgochian took inspiration from a foil-wrapped baked potato (for real) he ate at a American Institute of Architect's dinner that year — and a Richmond landmark was born.
Zoom in: Among the fun facts about the building Himali shared:
- The exterior of each floor is a single piece of 555-foot aluminum — making it the longest piece of unbroken aluminum ever used for siding.
- Jamgochian sledge-hammered the dents into the top level and contractors did the other two.
Another fun fact he didn't share: Richmonders don't just call it the potato building. It's also been dubbed "The Foil Building," "The Spaceship," "The Flying Saucer," and "The Jiffy Pop Building."
- Technically, it's now called "The Enterprise Center," and Markel has long-since moved out. But about a dozen other businesses call it home instead.
If you go: See it for yourself at 5310 Markel Road, just west of Willow Lawn.