The design team of Henning Larsen + Nelson Byrd Woltz have revealed their design for the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota. Known for his conservationist policies as the 26th president of the United States (1901-1909), the design is inspired by the rich landscape of the North Dakotan Badlands.
‘There is a unique and awe-inspiring beauty to everything about the Badlands that you simply cannot experience anywhere else,’ says Michael Sorensen, design lead and Partner at Henning Larsen.
The building comprises four volumes that peak up from the butte, each a formal reference to the geography of the Badlands. The tower (the Legacy Beacon) serves as a visible landmark, while the library is a hub for community and a fluid threshold over which visitors can cross into the sprawling majesty of Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
The four volumes link underground along a continuous narrative trail where Roosevelt’s legacy – the roots of the project – is exhibited and experienced. Upon entering the lobby, visitors follow a sloping spiral path down to the exhibition level, where they encounter seats that encircle a heath. Here the journey begins, gathered around a fire as Roosevelt would have done himself.
The trail, called ‘the Hero’s Journey’ meanders through a series of spaces that showcase both Roosevelt’s legacy and the surrounding landscape. Each space overlooks a different aspect of the surroundings, showing the changing nature of the Badlands from different vistas.
‘The design fuses the landscape and building into one living system emerging from the site’s geology,’ explains Thomas Woltz, Principal and owner of Nelson Byrd Woltz. ‘The design fuses the landscape and building into one living system emerging from the site’s geology. The buildings frame powerful landscape views to the surrounding buttes and the visitor experience is seamlessly connects to the rivers, trails and grazing landscapes surrounding the Library.’
The competition for the design of the Library, run by the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation, selected three finalists to further develop designs in late May, 2020. The winning design will be selected in late September 20202. Hennig Larsen is among the three finalists, together with Snohetta and Studio Gang.
