(UPDATED) Center for Civil and Human Rights Center design announced
March 26, 2009 at 10:11 am by Thomas Wheatley in NewsA tipster who’s at the Central Atlanta Progress annual meeting sends word that the winning design for the Center for Civil and Human Rights is…
Freelon Group of Durham, N.C. and HOK of Atlanta.
According to this design summary, the museum’s two interlocking buildings serve as a metaphor for Civil Rights marchers. The Rev. Martin Luther King’s collection will be housed in the musem and face the downtown skyline. More details to come. To view a few more sketches of the design and read comments, check out CCHR’s site.
UPDATE: More details about the announcement and museum timeline after the jump.
From a press release announcing the design:
The winning design is inspired by “the simple yet powerful image of interlocking arms that signifies the linkages that empower individuals and groups of seemingly divergent interests to find common ground,” said Philip Freelon, president of The Freelon Group. The design, conceived with sustainability as a primary consideration, features a terracotta-clad building surrounding an exterior courtyard, which serves as an amphitheater and exhibit space. The King Papers exhibit, which extends towards Auburn Avenue, is a reminder that non-violence triumphs over bigotry and brutality, and a special events space overlooks the Ellipse at Pemberton Place.
The Freelon Group is noted for their work on the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture in Baltimore (opened 2005), the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) in San Francisco (opened 2005), and the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts and Culture in Charlotte (opening Fall 2009).
“We were incredibly impressed with the level of thought and emotion put into all five designs, which made it very difficult to choose just one design. However, The Freelon Group and HOK exceeded the criteria we set forth for the project’s design and truly captured the spirit of exploration and collaboration that is central to the Center’s mission,” said Doug Shipman, executive director for the Center.
NEXT STEPS
Since March 2008, when the Center confirmed its 501(c)3 nonprofit status, the Center has progressed along an aggressive development timeline. This timeline is driven by many factors, including the desire to capture first-person stories from the unsung heroes of the Civil and Human Rights movement while they are still living. To meet a 2012 open date, the Center continues its public engagement efforts to further awareness of its mission and increase community involvement.
A recent donation from Atlanta’s corporate community will also help the Center reach its goal. Early this year, The Home Depot gave customers the chance to contribute to the Build the Dream campaign, commemorating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The company offered a campaign gift card in its stores and matched 5% of the total that customers put on their gift cards. The Home Depot Foundation today announced a donation of $430,000 to the Center as a result of more than 65,000 gift card purchases as part of the Build the Dream campaign.
(Courtesy CCHRP)
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