Snøhetta was selected as the winner of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Competition. Selected from three shortlisted proposals in the last step of the contest, including Studio Gang and Henning Larsen, the winning project “is informed by the President’s personal reflections on the landscape, his commitment to environmental stewardship, and the periods of quiet introspection and civic engagement that marked his life”.
Snøhetta has been unanimously selected as Design Architect for the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota. The team will work with a local based architect to deliver the final project. More than a building, the 15th American Presidential Library will share T.R.’s legacy with future generations. In fact, the design of the Library “is a journey through a preserved landscape of diverse habitats, punctuated with small pavilions providing spaces for reflection and activity”. With a gently sloping roof facing the northeast, the library of the future is further connected to its past. Moreover, it overlooks the National Park, the Little Missouri River valley, and the Elkhorn Ranch.
When designing a new project, we think about how we can more give to the site or community more than is initially asked of us. We integrated the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library into the landscape of the North Dakota Badlands. We still have much to learn about President Roosevelt, and we’re looking forward to working with the Medora community and the broader project team to translate this knowledge into an immersive place to learn about T.R.’s life and legacy. -- Craig Dykers
Located at the northeast edge of the butte, the proposal “preserves the landscape for conservation research while offering a setting for educational walks, leisure, and recreation”. Actually, in complete harmony with the surroundings, the integrated design functions reinterpret “the conservation ethos for which Roosevelt is remembered”. Using locally sourced and renewable materials, combined with sophisticated energy systems, the project introduces a new standard for sustainable design in the region. Finally, “the Library is understood to be the buildings, pavilions, paths, and landscape”.
One of Theodore Roosevelt’s most enduring legacies is conservation and our national parks. This will be the only presidential library alongside a national park and the only national park alongside a presidential library. It will invite visitors to see and experience the very cradle of conservation. That is why this location in North Dakota is perfect for the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. -- Theodore Roosevelt V, a great-great-grandson and namesake of the 26th president.
