WASHINGTON CHAPTER OF THEAMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS

Testimony of the Washington Chapter/AIA
to the District of Columbia Council
Committee on Education, Libraries and Recreation
Regarding Bill 16-734
Library Transformation Act of 2006

Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony on the Library Transformation Act of 2006, Bill 16-734. I am Beth Buffington, AIA, LEED, President of the Washington Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA|DC).  AIA|DC, representing more than 1600 architects in Washington DC, supports the construction of a new central public library on the site of the old convention center. AIA|DC also supports preserving the current central library building and adapting it for a different public use.

The people of the District of Columbia deserve a first-rate central public library comparable to those in other major U.S. cities. The current library is not, however appropriate for use as the flagship central library of the District of Columbia. Tremendous change has occurred since this building was built, and it cannot, without radical intervention, accommodate the programmatic elements required for a successful new central library facility.  AIA|DC believes this goal can best be met through the design of a new building that takes into account the significant changes in library technology that have occurred since the current central public library was built. A new building on the site of the old convention center could be designed to fully take into account all the functional requirements of a first-rate 21st-Century central public library. The name of the existing library building could be transferred to the new building, preserving the role of the central public library in honoring the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Since the mid twentieth century, the advent of the internet has changed the way we retrieve information. Contemporary library design has changed to respond to these trends. The new central library must not only be a beautifully crafted, modern building where one can access the internet or find an obscure title, it must also:

• Provide a civic presence for Knowledge and a place for the citizens of the District of Columbia to interact. 

• Accommodate both resource and discourse.

• Be a strong centerpiece which will demonstrate the city’s commitment to learning, community and positive civic interaction.

In addition, it is AIA|DC’s view that the District should support neighborhood branches as well as constructing a new central library capable of nurturing a variety of public activities.

The existing library building was designed in 1972 by the famous modernist architect Mies van der Rohe. It is the only Mies van der Rohe building in the District and it is a historically significant example of late-modern architecture. For this reason, AIA|DC supports preserving the exterior of the building and adapting its interior for a different public use for which the building would be suitable. Although AIA|DC does not, because of its inherent limitations, support a strategy of gutting and rebuilding the existing building for continued use as a central public library, a report prepared under the Chapter’s auspices in 2000 shows one way that such a rebuilding might be attempted. Although the approach outlined in this report attempts to make the most of the building’s potential for library use, AIA|DC does not believe this strategy would result in a first-rate 21st-Century central library for the District.

Thank you again for the opportunity to submit testimony on this bill.