The beauty of the building | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library

After three years of renovation by Dutch architecture firm Mecanoo in partnership with OTJ Architects, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (MLKL) reopened in Washington, D.C. The library opened in 1972 as a center for contemporary lifelong learning, open to all communities to regain a new lease of life. It is the only library designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, one of the greatest architects of the twentieth century, and was subsequently named after Dr. King, a tall civil rights leader who was assassinated in 1968. Francine Houben, head, founding partner and creative director at Mecanoo, said, "We have been guided by the timeless values of Martin Luther King Jr. and implemented in this most important library for the people of the U.S. capital."

A new café is separated by glass from the Great Hall and extends into an external area in the northeast corner of the library. The brick wall was cut, so it was open to the sidewalk, connecting the library to the city.

Mecanoo introduced two new wooden staircases, which are characterized by sculptural fluidity. The staircase is wide, paved with terrazzo, winding around the gap in the middle, from the ground floor to the new five floors, where natural light falls from the circular skylight and curves up.

Architects: Mecanoo, OTJ Architects Area: 39600 m² Year: 2021 Photographs: Trent Bell, Robert Benson City：WASHINGTON Country：UNITED STATES