Responding to History
Initially opened in 1972, the library was designed by the Architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the last director of the Bauhaus and one of the century’s most influential architects.
After much citizen input, the city dedicated the library to the prominent civil rights hero and American icon, Martin Luther King Jr.. Our approach was to respect all of the institutions, stories, and legacies attached to the library, no matter how complicated—while centering the city, its people, and culture, as we tried to tell an honest story of Washington, D.C.