Driving down Broad Street toward Willow Lawn, you'll see it. You can’t really miss it. It’s round, it’s shiny, and it looks exactly like a baked potato wrapped in tin foil. Honestly, that’s not just a mean nickname from the locals; it was the actual design brief.
The Markel Building in Richmond, VA, is one of those architectural landmarks that people either fiercely protect or wish would just quietly melt away. It sits at 5310 Markel Road, looking like a discarded prop from a 1960s sci-fi B-movie. But there is a reason this "spaceship" exists, and it involves a dinner party, a sledgehammer, and a very frustrated architect named Haigh Jamgochian.
If you've ever wondered why a multi-million dollar insurance company decided their headquarters should look like a starchy vegetable, you’re in the right place.
The Architect Who Hated Boring Boxes
Haigh Jamgochian was a character. Born to Armenian genocide survivors, he grew up in Richmond and eventually studied under the legendary Frank Lloyd Wright. He wasn’t interested in the glass-and-steel boxes that were popping up all over America in the 1960s. He wanted something weird. Something that moved.
When the Markel brothers—Lewis and Irvin—approached him in 1962 to build their new headquarters, they didn't want "corporate." They wanted something people would talk about. Boy, did they get it.
The legend goes that Jamgochian was at an American Institute of Architects (AIA) dinner, staring at his meal. He picked up his foil-wrapped baked potato, crinkled the foil between his fingers, and had a "Eureka" moment. He realized that if he used thin, crinkled aluminum, he could create a building that was lightweight, cheap, and utterly unique.
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A Sledgehammer and 555 Feet of Aluminum
The construction of the Markel Building in Richmond, VA, is just as bizarre as its inspiration.
Each of the three floors is wrapped in a single, unbroken piece of aluminum siding. At the time, these were reported to be the longest continuous pieces of aluminum ever used in a building—roughly 555 feet long. That’s the exact height of the Washington Monument, which feels like a very specific Richmond flex.
But here’s the kicker: the "crinkled" texture isn't a factory finish.
Jamgochian wanted it to look organic. To get that specific "foil" look, he actually took a sledgehammer to the top floor himself. He spent hours denting and bashing the metal panels to make sure the light hit them just right. Later, workers followed his lead on the lower floors. It’s probably the only office building in the world where "property damage" was a key part of the aesthetic.
Why It’s Actually Smart (No, Really)
Despite its reputation as one of the "world's ugliest buildings" (a title it actually won from Digital Journal in 2009), the design is surprisingly functional.
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- Shadow Reduction: Because the building is round and the floors cantilever outward, it casts 23% less shadow than a traditional rectangular building. This keeps the ground-level parking lot from feeling like a dark cave.
- Maximized Space: By sloping the walls outward at a 15-degree angle, Jamgochian managed to squeeze more square footage out of the upper floors while staying within the legal property lines at the base.
- Cost Efficiency: The aluminum was sourced from the local Reynolds Metals plant. It was lightweight, which meant the building didn't need a massive, expensive internal support structure.
The "Mad Man Dapper Dan" Connection
You can’t talk about the Markel Building without mentioning Jamgochian’s other (now gone) masterpiece: The Moon House.
He only ever got to build two structures in his career. One was the Markel Building. The other was a house for a used car salesman known as "Mad Man Dapper Dan." That house featured bulletproof glass and a crescent-shaped roof. It was eventually torn down in 2005 to make way for a McMansion, leaving the Markel Building as the sole survivor of Jamgochian’s "Neo-Expressionist" vision in Richmond.
It’s a bit of a miracle it’s still standing. For years, the aluminum was held together with what looked like duct tape in certain spots. It was dented by more than just the architect's sledgehammer—delivery trucks and time took their toll.
Is It Still an Office?
Sorta. The building was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2017, which gave it a new lease on life. It’s no longer the primary home of the Markel Group (they’ve moved to sleeker, more "normal" campuses in Innsbrook), but it still functions as a commercial space under the name Enterprise Center.
If you walk around it today, you'll see those 12 massive concrete piers that hold the whole thing up. They’re covered in a rough, textured concrete that mimics the crinkles in the aluminum above. It feels like standing under a giant, silver mushroom.
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Why You Should Care in 2026
Richmond is changing fast. The "GreenCity" development and the constant expansion of VCU are smoothing over the city’s rougher, weirder edges. The Markel Building in Richmond, VA, represents a time when architecture was allowed to be a little bit "out there."
It’s a reminder that not everything has to be pretty to be important. Sometimes, being the "ugliest building in the world" is exactly what makes you a landmark.
If You’re Planning a Visit:
- Location: It’s just off West Broad Street, tucked behind some more modern (and boring) retail spots.
- Photography: The best light hits the aluminum around 4:00 PM. The way the light catches the "dents" makes for some incredible abstract photos.
- Respect the Space: It is a working office building. You can walk around the exterior and the ground-level parking, but don't expect a tour of the interior unless you have business there.
Actionable Takeaways for Architecture Fans
If you're fascinated by the Markel Building, don't stop there. Richmond has a weirdly deep well of Mid-Century Modern and Brutalist gems if you know where to look.
- Check out the ICA: After visiting the Markel Building, head over to the VCU Institute for Contemporary Art (The Markel Center) at Broad and Belvidere. It’s a modern spiritual successor—also circular and metallic, but with a much higher budget and a LEED Gold rating.
- Visit the Library of Virginia: They hold the Haigh Jamgochian papers. If you want to see the original sketches for the "Treehouse" apartment building (which was never built), that’s where they live.
- Drive by the Science Museum: Just down the road is the "Grand Kugel," the world’s largest floating stone sphere. It fits perfectly with the "weird Richmond" tour.
The Markel Building isn't going anywhere. Even if the aluminum gets a little more tarnished and the nicknames get a little more creative, it remains a testament to the idea that a good story is worth more than a boring facade.