DC Central Library NOT Relocating To Old Convention Center Site

I’m glad to hear this, as the MLK library is not even 50 years old. Sure it could use a renovation…I’m 100% behind that. But we need to STOP throwing away and rebuilding our structures, otherwise our country will perpetually be architecturally adolescent.

Its so strange…everyone loves visiting Europe for the old buildings, yet we demolish and rebuild here every 30 years. WTF?

In general, I agree with Chris Loos that we should preserve our old buildings. The MLK Library building, however, is an eyesore that’s been poorly maintained and — most damningly — is horribly designed for being a library. I’ve lived in Pittsburgh and NYC, which boast some of the best libraries in the world, so maybe I’m spoiled, but MLK is a joke that looks more appropriate as the 3rd-string branch office for an impoverished mid-sized town than as a major branch for the nation’s capital.

#1 – I was talking to a friend of mine who went to school in London and Paris and he had the exact same comment.

but for engineering issues, I don’t see why DC couldn’t preserve, renovate and expand the MLK library. alternately, the same could be said for the Carnegie Library on Mt. Vernon Square (it definitely needs some exterior detailing done). every building doesn’t need to be new…it does need to be functional, in character and in perspective for the neighborhood.

Don’t count on MLK being renovated. My sources say that the most likely plan at this time is to dig under the Carnegie Library to expand it, then move the central library back to the building. This has been on the radar at the office of planning for a while. Fenty seems to like the idea.

The plans for the MLK building are unknown (or undiscussed.)

I have to say that I like the idea of moving the library back to the Carnegie Library building. It’s probably because I’m used to seeing city libraries housed in buildings of similar architecture. The building’s site also has plenty of land for expansion.

It doesn’t feel as centrally located right now, but maybe after the Old Convention Center site is developed and the rest of Mt. Vernon Triangle comes online, it’ll feel more central.

MLK library is an embarrasment. Tripping over the homeless people to get in, the elevators that smell horrible and it has to be about 85 degrees on the upper floors.

Mrs. LiveAndWork is an avid Library user and used to go to the library frequently when we lived in Virginia. On one of her few solo trips to the MLK library in the 2 years we have lived downtown she was followed by some creepy guy through the library and then, almost like out of a movie, she pulled a book off a shelf only to see the creepy guys face staring through the rack on the other side.

She decided it was time to leave and hasn’t spent much time in there since then.

For what its worth, MLK IS architecturally significant… its the only building in the city designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, pretty much the father of the modernist style. Of course the style is pretty awful, but I think this alone makes MLK worth preserving. At least as a reminder of what NOT to do.

MLK library is one of the few architecturally important buildings in DC. The homeless people, the bad odors, & the creepy people will be there in any DC library until the city stops wasting money on things like Ford’s Theatre & takes effective action to deal with the homeless & other problems. In general, the District has allowed its public libraries to deteriorate significantly over the past several years. Focusing on the building instead of the District’s refusal to provide city services in a effective manner only obscures the root of the problem here. If the District refuses to keep libraries clean, any new library would be trashed in a few months.
The problem is a poorly run government, not a building. Changing the people in charge, not a building, is the key to resolving the problem.

The problem with the old Carnegie building is that the trees on the property have also been declared historic, which means that they can’t be cut down and the building can’t really be expanded.

Putting the issue of maintenance aside, the current MLK building is very poorly designed for a library. The stairwells are hard to find and dimly lit–and not because the lights go out, but rather because there are not enough light fixtures in the stairwell. The lobby cannot be substantially renovated due to the historic status, and that is also a lot of wasted space.

I think it is a shame that the council decided to use the property for a hotel rather than something nice for the citizens. We have plenty of hotels around here. I think the capital city of the most powerful country in the world should have a much better library than MLK. It’s almost embarassing to see the condition of that building.

I think they should add an additional 8 stories or so on the MLK building turn it into a mix use or something. It just looks unfinished with 3 stories. Plus I think the design was intended for taller buildings like the Seagrams building.