On the banks of the James River in Richmond, Virginia, a new campus is rising that challenges how we think about office buildings. The new headquarters of real estate data giant CoStar Group is designed not merely as a workplace, but as a statement in glass and light. Transparent by day, spectacular by night. Generating energy while communicating with its surroundings.

It is this duality that makes the project remarkable. Two worlds come together here: LED-embedded glass from Glassiled® and BIPV solutions from ISSOL® – both developed and manufactured by SOLTECH in Genk, Belgium.

More than an office tower

The design by Pickard Chilton Architects is ambitious: a 26-storey tower, paired with a low-rise volume in timber and glass, will soon host 3,500 employees. Around it, public terraces, an amphitheatre and almost five hectares of green space invite the community in. The campus is aiming for LEED Platinum and WELL Platinum certifications, alongside energy neutrality. The ambition is clear: to create not just a building, but a landmark for sustainability and experience, embedded in the city.

Façade as canvas

For SOLTECH, the power lies in the envelope. With Glassiled® Motion, the tower’s glass skin reflects the river in daylight. As night falls, that same surface transforms into a vast canvas. Seamlessly integrated LEDs bring the façade to life with animation, colour and pattern – a building that quite literally speaks to the city.

Alongside it, ISSOL® panels play their part: solar cells embedded in glass, generating clean energy while remaining invisible. Architecture that creates not only beauty, but also power.

The result is a unique co-creation: a façade that gives energy and tells stories.

A moment of pride

A few weeks ago, SOLTECH CEO Bas van de Kreeke visited the Richmond site. During an initial test, the LEDs were activated – a preview of how the façade will shine across the skyline in the evenings.

“It is a special moment to see our technology literally shaping a city’s skyline. What you see here is the future of building: materials that do more. Transparency and energy during the day, a communicative layer at night. That is the essence of our vision: building materials with a plus.”
— Bas van de Kreeke, CEO SOLTECH

Looking ahead

In the coming months, the façade will continue to rise, panel by panel. By 2026, CoStar will open its new campus – adding not just an office building, but a beacon of innovation to Richmond.

For SOLTECH, the project represents more than an international reference. It is proof that building materials today are reshaping the very role of architecture. A façade that generates power. A façade that speaks. A façade that gives the city a new face.