MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. LIBRARY
Concept Design
Mecanoo Architecten
Project Team: Francine Houben, Fedele Canosa, Rodrigo Louro, Sofia Pereira
Summer 2015
The renovation of the coveted Martin Luther King Jr. Library located in Washingtion, D.C. This landmark by Mies Van der Rohe was completed in 1972 and has undergone multiple renovations that have completely dissected the interior plan to the point of being unrecognizable. This has created negative affects to the public space and general negative feelings from the surrounding community.
With this in mind, the aim of the proposal was to try and address present spatial and social issues at hand, while simultaneously looking-back at the original design intents by Mies. The design would eventually focus on the existing four cores of the building, with further emphasis on expanding the front tow cores near the library entrance in order to engage the public domain. Concept of mass vs transparency, heavy vs light, would allow a more engaging entry sequence that would continure deep into the building. Visual sightlines and increased access to inside/outside public space would begin to blur the boundaries of traditionally programmed spaces and create a more exciting atmosphere.
