A rooftop garden, “makerspace,” event areas and more were part of the latest proposals discussed June 18 for Downtown’s Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (901 G Street NW) at a presentation given by the library and the architects behind its renovation effort.
“This is the most staggeringly important public building in D.C. for District residents,” said D.C. Public Library (DCPL) Executive Director Richard Reyes-Gavilan at a free presentation held at the National Building Museum.
The historic Downtown library, designed by famed architect Ludwig Miese van der Rohe, is in the planning stages of a major modernization and redesign that will both preserve the building’s historic features while repairing the aging infrastructure and enlivening D.C.’s central library with updated, exciting features.
The first goal of the redesign is to create a welcoming central library for all D.C. residents by opening the building up to natural light and designing an interior that is easy to navigate. The redesign will also create a physical memorial to the values of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., by providing a world-class place of learning, and a building that represents D.C. at its civic best.
An advisory panel for the library renovation last year selected Dutch architectural firm Mecanoo and local firm Martinez + Johnson out of many competitors to head up the redesign, which is still in its planning stages. Reyes-Gavilan emphasized that all renderings were preliminary, as the library was just beginning its regulatory review and the process of presenting the design and program ideas for public comment.
Reyes-Gavilan and Mecanoo architect Sebastiaan Kaal in their presentations at the National Building Museum reviewed the latest architectural proposals. Despite proposals to add several levels, the building currently is slated to be a renovated standalone library with the addition of a single, 30,000 square foot fifth floor potentially containing event space, meeting rooms and staff areas. On top of the fifth floor, there are current plans for a rooftop garden that will not be visible from the street, a design to help preserve the building’s exterior. It will be a “bucolic and inspiring space,” said Reyes-Gavilan said of the roof, and will include areas for public programming.
The library proposals presented included an improved digital commons, a large children’s library area, a ground floor cafe with outdoor seating, performance spaces and more.
The building plans to seek a minimum LEED “Silver” certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Reyes-Gavilan said the hope is that the new library for visitors will be a D.C. destination but will also be a major part of the District community. He added that he estimates upwards of 4,000 daily visitors to the library following its reopening.
The library is currently exploring interim space to use to house library resources and provide library programming while the library undergoes renovations.
As for homeless individuals who use the library and its surrounding areas during the day, which Reyes-Gavilan noted is directly tied to that area being used as a daily shelter dropoff location, Reyes-Gavilan said he is “heartened” by Mayor Muriel Bowser’s administration’s decision to address the issue of chronic homelessness in D.C. and noted that the library closure date continues to draw closer.
Throughout the planning and redesign process, the library has invited and welcomed public input. To add your voice to the process, visit the MLK Library Modernization Idea Community to participate in their online forums or visit http://dclibrary.org/mlkfuture to learn more about the renovation.
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