The Power Plant at Lucky Strike is one of the oldest building in Richmond's historic Tobacco Row. Tobacco Row is an area of downtown Richmond, VA where tobacco warehouses and cigarette factories thrived in the early 1800s. The area was abandoned by the tobacco companies by the late 1980s. In 1995 the Richmond Flood Wall was completed, and many of the old warehouses of Tobacco Row were modernized. The Power Plant at Lucky Strike is at the end of Tobacco Row and supplied power to all of the other buildings along the River. Historic renovations of the Lucky Strike has been ongoing for years by various firm’s in Richmond. The space is currently under construction by Odell Architects. The Lucky Strike is a large building at 18,000 square feet with two tenant spaces, and 45 parking spaces. I chose this building because of its location to Shockoe Bottom, the James River, and re-developing neighborhoods of Church Hill. It has inherent beauty with two story glass windows and several skylights, which will make a perfect space for my project. For my Senior Thesis proposal I chose to create a used bookstore. I started the project by doing extensive research on the used bookstore market. The information lead me to conclude that the South Atlantic area is the best place right now for a used bookstore, however smaller stores are not succeeding. This lead me to my second conclusion, which is that large bookstores with strong internet sales are doing the best in the market. I decided then to ''partner'' with an existing successful used bookstore chain in Portland, OR known as Powell's Books. I proposed that the company wanted to expand to the east coast and thus save on shipping expenses for the east coast sales. Powell's Books also wants to establish a design style in their new store that is different than the Portland stores, which is where my job would start.

1. Senior Studio
Audra Powell
2009
Bound Mixed Media Work
8 x 10 inches

2. 1 Precedents Powell’s City of Books Programing Design
Thesis Proposal
There are few new businesses that can get me as excited as a used bookstore opening. The treasure hunt feeling I get when
I’m browsing through the isles of endless books is like no other. Its something that doesn’t happen in larger stores such as Barnes and
Noble. The chain stores that sell overpriced new books have a rushed feeling and are overcrowded. A good used bookstore on the
other hand is inviting and like walking into a mystery; you never know what you might find. My goal for my senior
thesis project is to design a store that not only has a wide selection of books, but is also well designed. The design will be influential
to the business staying on top. Also, I would love for the store to be used for community
activities such as book
readings, school outings, or a community meeting center. My used bookstore will
not merely be a store, but also enrich the community.
Shockoe Bottom
To
bac
co
Ro
w
Church Hill
Neighborhoods The Power Plant at
Lucky Strike is located
Ja
m
es at the end of historic
Ri
ve
r Tobacco Row. The building
was originally used to power
these warehouses in the 1800s,
however, it has only recently
been renovated to house a new
business, Odell Architects.

3. 1 Precedents Powell’s City of Books Programing Design
Thesis Proposal

4. Thesis Proposal
2 Powell’s City of Books Programing Design
Precedents
Boutique Del Libro is a popular chain bookstore in Buenos Aries, but this particular one is
unique. The store is small, quiet, and has an unobtrusive design, much like a typical used bookstore in America. There are special
areas for individual study, and also for group study. The group study areas have tables, chairs, and a large white board. The Boutique
was not merely thrown together like any other used bookstore. It has a deliberate design scheme. All of the furniture pieces are
antiques, a mix and match of found items which could be considered a “sustainable” quality. The
reason I was drawn
to this bookstore design is because it is an organized mess. The books are what
stands out because they are everywhere. They take a back seat to no other design
element, and I like that idea.

5. Thesis Proposal
2 Powell’s City of Books Programing Design
Precedents
Livraria De Vila is a successful chain bookstore in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This particular one was
created by famous Brazilian architect, Isay Weinfeld. Livraria De Vila boasts a packed calendar of event from books signnings,
writing classes, wine tastings, and musical performances. Weinfeld, however, wanted everyone to know, just by looking at the facade,
that the store’s goal is literacy. The entrance is composed of 5 large bookcases which pivot open during the day, and
close up at night. The interior design is no less grand. Along every wall, all one can see are books. The existing 2 story building has a
footprint of 33 ft. wide and 131 ft. long. This created some design challenges for placement of furniture. He chose to open up the plan
and let it flow from floor to floor. Weinfeld chose to create “visual
continuity” with an oval cut out into the
basement, which is lined with books. Like Boutique Del Libro, the thing I most enjoy about this
design is that books are highlighted as the most important decoration.

6. Thesis Proposal
2 Powell’s City of Books Programing Design
Precedents
El Ateno is South America’s Barnes and Noble, except they are all different in design. The most notable El
Ateno is the one located at The Grand Splendid, an old theater. Like Barnes and Noble, El Ateno is known for selling new
books and CDs. While this store doesn’t sell used books, it caught my interest because it is making adaptive use of a
prominent structure in the city, which is comparable to my own thesis proposal. The architects, Pero and Torres
Armengol designed The Grand Splendid for wealthy immigrant, Max Gluxsman. It was used as a theater for a number of years. In 1924,
he opened a radio station on the fourth floor. Later in 1929, the theater became Argentina’s first cinema with sound. In 2000, its latest
phase, El Ateno moved in. Architect Fernando Manzone wanted to keep the historical integrity of the building, but many changes had to
be made. Bookshelves were installed along walls and where the seats had once been. Stairs to the basement were also replaced by an
Although many changes have been made, it is impossible to erase the feeling
escalator
that this store was once a grand theater, which is why I like it so much.

7. Thesis Proposal Precedents
3 Programing Design
Powell’s City of
Books
Through my research, I have decided to make Powell’s City of Books my client. This
client is already a well established business model for online stores. In my research I found that used bookstores almost have to have
online establishments to turn any kind of sustainable profit. Right now the Pacific Coast is not a good place to open a used bookstore,
but the South Atlantic (Virginia included) is a great place to start one. If Powell’s
City of Books was to expand
to the East Coast they would not only increase profits, but also have another warehouse for their
online sales, thus saving in transportation. Having warehouses on both coasts for internet sales can also be considered an ecofriendly
aspect, as sold books wouldn’t have to travel as far. They
are the world’s largest used book store, but
they currently only have one location; Portland, Oregon. This store is well established and has a
lot of business. For my project, however, I am pretending that this business wants to expand to a smaller stores on the East Coast.
They want to keep their philosophy of providing outlets for community activities, having an in store
art gallery, and housing rare, hard to find books. There size and in-store, as well as internet selection, is what has kept them in
business for so long. Because they only have one location and are trying to branch out, this leaves room for freedom to design without
established franchise standards. I plan to create a store that provides more than just books, but rather a community outlet
for people of all ages.

8. Thesis Proposal Precedents Powell’s City of Books 4 Design
Programing
5% World Cup Coffee and Tea
Seating
37.5% Fiction Food Prep/ Counter
Storage
General
Sci-fi 10% Community Spaces
Mystery
Horror Seats
Space Allocation Romance Desks
Classics Mic Systems
Humor
75 % Books Graphic Novels
Rarities 10% Reading Areas
37.5% Non- Fiction
Seats
Arts Sciences Maths Religions Computers Sofas
Computers
Health/ Lifestyles How-Tos History Textbooks Quiet

9. Thesis Proposal Precedents Powell’s City of Books 4 Design
Programing
Adjacency Matrix
Fiction
Non-Fiction
Community Area
X Separate
Reading Area
Immediate (inside)
World Cup Unimportant
Convenient
Page 42

10. Thesis Proposal Precedents Powell’s City of Books 4 Design
Programing
Final Bubble Diagram
Backrooms
World Cup
Storage
Community Areas
Bathroom
Fiction Reading Areas
Key Non-fiction
Immediate/ Inside
Separate
Convenient/ Close
Not Important

11. Thesis Proposal Precedents Powell’s City of Books Programing
5
Design

12. Thesis Proposal Precedents Powell’s City of Books Programing
5
Floor Plan Diagrams
Design
Entrance
Bathrooms
World Cup Cafe
Backrooms/ Break
Room
Unoccupied Tenant Space

13. Thesis Proposal Precedents Powell’s City of Books Programing
5
Design
Nonfiction
Huddle Spaces
Mystery/ Sci-fi
Rarities/ Classics
General/ Other
Romance
Bathrooms

14. Thesis Proposal Precedents Powell’s City of Books Programing
5
Design
Children’s Section
Gallery
Performance/ Book
Signning Area

15. Thesis Proposal Precedents Powell’s City of Books Programing
5
Design
Entrance

16. Thesis Proposal Precedents Powell’s City of Books Programing
5
Entrance
Design

17. Thesis Proposal Precedents Powell’s City of Books Programing
5
Design
World Cup Cafe
The eastern wall of the World Cup
Cafe will have concrete blocks and
areas where thyme plants can grow for
decoration.

18. Thesis Proposal Precedents Powell’s City of Books Programing
5
Design
World Cup Cafe

19. Thesis Proposal Precedents Powell’s City of Books Programing
5
Design
Non Fiction
Computer Kiosk Design Custom Bookshelf Design

20. Thesis Proposal Precedents Powell’s City of Books Programing
5
Design
Non Fiction

21. Thesis Proposal Precedents Powell’s City of Books Programing
5
Design
The Romance Section

22. Thesis Proposal Precedents Powell’s City of Books Programing
5
Design
The Romance Section

23. Thesis Proposal Precedents Powell’s City of Books Programing
5
Design
Children’s Section
Through my initial research, I have
been committed to designing a
space where children can become
excited about reading. The building
is located in an area of Richmond
where SOL scores are typically low.
If there was a place that the younger
children could go to get excited about
reading , their scores could possibly
improve in the future. The children’s
section features special lounging
bookshelves, colorful bean bags, and
custom booths for audio books.

24. Thesis Proposal Precedents Powell’s City of Books Programing
5
Design
This shows a section of the Sci-fi and
Mystery area, underneath the book
signing space.
Each month Powell’s has a packed
calender of events. A new art exhibit is
revealed every month in the bookstore’s
gallery. Popular events include book
signings, and speeches by artists,
philosophers, and even former presidents.
The area with aluminum louvers is a
space for book sigings and events to
occur. The gallery can also be accessed
by a bridge from the book signing area.

25. Thesis Proposal Precedents Powell’s City of Books Programing
5
Design
Second Floor
First Floor
Mezzanine Floors