The architects behind the redevelopment of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (901 G Street NW) on Thursday participated in a live online chat to discuss potential design options for the historic DowntownDC building as it undergoes a significant renovation.
[Watch the chat’s archived version online here.]
In a discussion moderated by Philip Kennicott, art and architecture critic for The Washington Post, architect Francine Houben of Dutch firm Mecanoo and Thomas Johnson of local firm Martinez + Johnson expressed their hopes for the space which included:
- Utilizing the library’s Great Hall more effectively and enabling it to be used for a variety of functions. Houben suggested a flexible interior would be exciting, offering guests an unexpected surprise about the layout of the day.
- Supporting the library’s current horizontal layout by connecting the existing interior spaces.
- Creating a welcoming overall space with a new interior in inviting colors with welcoming furniture and lighting. Increasing daylight for guests, including on the second and third floors, where it is scarce. Turning the entry area into a space that is more intuitive and inviting.
- Potentially adding another floor, though Houben noted their design for the library works with or without an addition.
- Activating the outdoor space around the library with a coffee shop or a place to buy affordable, healthy food and a space to sit and meet.
Both Houben and Johnson noted Thursday that libraries have greatly changed since D.C.’s library was built in 1972.
“The most important issue is that people realize libraries are not about books… they’re about people,” Houben said. One example of an area in need of a potential upgrade in the library is that daylight in the current library is offered to books on the building’s glass perimeter instead of to the guests of the library, she noted. “People need light. Books don’t need light.” Johnson noted natural light is also scarce on the second and third floors.
Libraries today are about bringing people in contact with innovation, they’re places of learning not only from books, but learning languages, technology, reading and storytelling, Houben said.
Johnson and Houben both stressed a desire to make the library a welcoming and inviting and innovative place while maintaining the building’s integrity.
“Our rules of engagement are to hold onto the wonderful aspects” of the library, Johnson said, but added “this isn’t a 1960s library anymore.
The library today is in disrepair and is regarded as heavily outdated. But it was designed by famed architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and due to historic designations for the building (including some interior spaces) renovation plans must meet approval from the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), the D.C. Historic Preservation Office and the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB).
This past February, the D.C. Public Library (DCPL) and Mayor Vincent C. Gray announced that the team of Mecanoo and local firm Martinez + Johnson had been chosen to renovate the library. The DowntownDC BID partnered with DCPL and ULI Greenprint— a non-profit research and education organization– to develop a process through which firms could present sound, exciting designs to rebuild the historic building. The winning team was chosen by an advisory panel which included BID Deputy Executive Director Richard T. Reinhard.
Supporters hope to turn the library into an amazing library of the 21st century.
Houben and Johnson on Thursday discussed why they believe the historic DowntownDC building is so well-positioned to be a major attraction for both local residents and visitors across the country. This library “is so important for the city and all inhabitants,” Houben said. We hope this will be “a very big destination in D.C.”
Houben noted the building’s potential to be an inviting meeting space for D.C. residents young and old, a space to be activated by dynamic programming, a place to promote the library’s Black Studies collection and Dr. King, a destination for school groups and more.
Houben said part of the building’s potential and the overall potential of the project to redevelop the aging library, is its location in the heart of Downtown. “I really like the spot that it is in,” she said, noting its proximity to both the White House, the Capitol and museums and later mentioned the two Metrorail stations within walking distance.
She noted that the first time she visited the library was in 1976. “That was not a nice area at that point,” she said. But today, the designers view the museum as a place that would greatly benefit from activated outdoor space.
Throughout the process, the partners behind the redevelopment have strongly encouraged public input, holding public meetings and setting up online forms through which the public can submit comments and concerns.
Johnson said Thursday that they are starting the process of meeting all the different agencies involved in the renovation this summer and may present a “refinement of ideas” to NCPC as early as September. “We welcome this process… it’s going to be a very exciting process,” he said.