Philip Kennicott reviews plans to modernize Washington D.C.'s aging Martin Luther King Memorial Library, the city's only building designed by famed architect Mies van der Rohe, and his only library ever constructed.
In a public meeting held this week "to foster a discussion about the future of the library," a landmarked building recognized as one of the "most important examples of mid-century modern architecture" in D.C., the Freelon Group presented initial concepts to the library's board for creating a "knock-your-socks-off library," reports Kennicott.
For a building that upholds the Miesian cornerstones of "right angles, rational layout and long vistas," one must wonder if "carving a large 'donut hole' into the center" or "adding a cafe space under its stern, classically inspired loggia" pays the proper deference the building's design philosophy and character defining elements.
As Kennicott notes, "The argument will come down to how deeply one channels the basics of
what Mies was after. If underneath the modules and bays was a more
profound desire to give easy, direct access to knowledge, then Freelon's
design re-creates Miesian ideals in a new language. If one believes he
worshipped the grid for pure aesthetic appeal, then the new designs
might seem to do violence to his ethos."
FULL STORY: District weighs proposals for renovating MLK Library while preserving historic status
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