Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bookstore

Situated on a 4-acre site along the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is adjacent to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial and on a direct line between the Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson Memorials. The memorial evokes the memory and spiritual presence of Dr. King. It was conceived as an engaging landscape experience utilizing natural elements. The memorial honors not only a great man, but the values that empowered his leadership. The memorial pavilion is an integral element in the visitors’ experience at the memorial. Thousands of people come to the site each day and circulate around and through its structure. To serve the needs of these visitors, a memorial pavilion was designed and constructed immediately to the west of the memorial. Programmatically, the pavilion consists of three basic elements, including a bookstore, park ranger station and restroom facilities, all housed in a single structure. McKissack is the Architect of Record. Architecturally, the bookstore is expressed as a transparent glass box and, although the restroom requires obvious privacy, extensive use of translucent glass wall allows for natural light to illuminate the spaces and reduce energy costs. The modern aesthetic of the pavilion reflects that of the memorial and is constructed of the same granite that has been used in pavers and stonework to the east. The memorial pavilion required approval from the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc., U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, National Capital Planning Commission and National Park Service.