Correspondent of the Day, June 10

Richmond's Panorama Is Free to Everyone
Editor, Times-Dispatch: A lot of Richmonders may not appreciate what a magnificent skyline our city has. It's an interesting and expansive mix of buildings of various shapes, sizes, colors, materials, and architectural styles. The new nine-story MeadWestvaco headquarters building with its mostly glass façade and angular roof line is an attractive and distinctive addition.

Although skylines are more a product of happenstance than design, Richmond may have the best skyline of any city our size. The views are particularly impressive from the Lee, Manchester, and 14th Street bridges, and from the Flood Wall walk on the south side of the James River.

The focal point of Richmond's skyline is the 26-story Federal Reserve building. Many know from school tours that the building has almost as much square footage underground as above ground (security vaults, data processing facilities, etc.). What many probably don't know is that the building was designed by Japanese-American architect Minoru Yamasaki (1912-1986), who also designed the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. The resemblance is obvious, and the reason for the narrow windows on these and other Yamasaki-designed skyscrapers is that he was reputedly afraid of heights and wanted to counter any fear of falling (a perverse irony, of course).

Although most cities are situated along or astride rivers, what makes Richmond almost unique is that our downtown overlooks a broad expanse of significant whitewater (the Falls of the James), as well as a number of islands with diverse birdlife. This unusual look of primordial nature juxtaposed against the backdrop of the built environment provides a visually striking contrast that should evoke a feeling of awe in anyone. Moreover, Richmond's beautiful skyline panorama is always free and available to everyone.

John Clark.
Richmond.