Alexandria Beautification Commission / The Muse Old Town
The Alexandria Beautification Commission awarded three buildings with 2023 Alexandria Architecture Awards.
The awards went to a school, a home and a condo building. All of them "speak to the historical character and future of the City, inspire others to enhance the beauty and architecture of their properties, and help make Alexandria a creative, dynamic community."
The winners are:
Ferdinand Day Elementary School, 1700 North Beauregard Street — for an exceptionally creative and sustainable conversion of an old office building into a school adorned with color, art, and vegetation.
200 Lloyds Lane — for the clean lines, unique window panes, and minimalist design of a home surrounded by many native and sustainable plantings.
Muse Old Town, 1201 North Royal Street — (pictured) for anchoring the Old Town North Arts District in an inviting mixed-use community that blends modern and historical materials and architecture.
The Alexandria Beautification Commission solicited nominations from residents. The awards sought places that brought "aesthetic improvements achieved through novel or creative architectural design," "historical restoration or demonstrated commitment to the art of architecture," and/or "sustainable design practices."
“Architecture says a lot about a neighborhood and City and the value residents and business place on the community in which they live and work. Great architecture, like those recognized this year, encourages us to get out, enjoy our City, and meet our friends and neighbors. It also inspires us to do our part to make Alexandria an even more amazing place to live, work, and visit,” said Steve Cohen, Commission Chair. “I’m particularly impressed with the diversity of this year’s award recipients. They represent a wide range of architectural styles and purposes and illustrate the outstanding architecture one can find across our entire City,” he said.
Visit the Alexandria Beautification Commission website for photos of the three award winners and additional details about each project.
In addition, the Alexandria Beautification Commission Friday morning announced two other sets of awards.
There were four winners of the 2023 Alexandria Commercial Beautification Award:
The Time Travel Mural, 611 South Pickett Street — for transforming an otherwise unremarkable warehouse exterior into a masterpiece depicting the region's history and development.
Alexan Florence, 400 Wythe Street — for converting an old bus shed into a dense community featuring modern and historical elements, ecological practices, and informative plaques.
Goodies Frozen Custard & Treats, 200 Commerce Street — for carefully and faithfully restoring an old ice house into a vibrant ice cream parlor with historical charm and ecological seasonal plantings.
Tenant and Workers United building, 3801 Mount Vernon Avenue — for inspiring central Alexandria with two bright and colorful murals that illustrate the dreams and challenges of immigrant communities in the U.S.
There were three winners of the 2023 Alexandria Community Beautification Award:
The Spire, 2875 North Beauregard Street — for providing affordable housing that is beautiful, ecological, and functional.
Dale Street Community Garden, 65 Dale Street — for maintaining an exceptional space where the community can gather, plant, learn, and harvest sustainably together.
The Platform Alexandria, 1100 North Fayette Street — for creating an inviting and inspiring park that replaces industrial space and parking lots with public art and lush space for leisure.
