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Southern Poverty Law Center
Southern Poverty Law Center
Mobile, AL, United States
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Other Projects by Erdy McHenry Architecture, LLC
Southern Poverty Law Center
Mobile, AL, United States
Type
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2001
SIZE
25,000 sqft - 100,000 sqft
BUDGET
$10M - 50M
Photos
The design and construction of a new headquarters for the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), became necessary after the destruction of their previous facility in an act of domestic terrorism by the Ku Klux Klan. Following this devastating event, SPLC was determined to rebuild in a way that was safer for its volunteers and staff and saw this as an opportunity to bring their team closer together and reaffirm their primary mission of achieving equality for all.
Located in a cultural and historically significant site including; the Alabama Supreme Court, State Capitol buildings, the Civil Rights Memorial, Dexter Avenue, site of the Rosa Parks bus boycott, and the church where Dr. Martin Luther King, JR. started his public preaching, created an opportunity to create a building that integrates into the historical, social, and cultural aspects, of the site.
Taking into account the significance of this site in relationship to the SPLC mission, the design solution purposefully serves as a means to educate the participants and reinforce the importance of the issues surrounding the civil rights movement. The siting of the building enhances these features by pushing back onto the site to create a public plaza and raising up from its concrete base to provide unobstructed views of Dr. Kings church from the Civil Rights Memorial. From inside the building, the north and south facades are treated in a manner that highlights specific views of the memorial, creating a reminder of SPLC’s primary goals and mission.
Further emphasizing the importance of the site, the double-height library/work spaces located on the south facade, provide a specific and directed view of the Civil Rights Memorial from within and create a visible connection to the visitors of the memorial, between the civil rights activist of the past and those currently working for the cause.
Awards Received
2008 - AIA Montgomery, AL Chapter Honorable Mention
2004 - AIA Gulf States Region Honor Award
2001 - AIA Philadelphia Gold Medal
1998 - AIA Philadelphia Award of Recognition
Located in a cultural and historically significant site including; the Alabama Supreme Court, State Capitol buildings, the Civil Rights Memorial, Dexter Avenue, site of the Rosa Parks bus boycott, and the church where Dr. Martin Luther King, JR. started his public preaching, created an opportunity to create a building that integrates into the historical, social, and cultural aspects, of the site.
Taking into account the significance of this site in relationship to the SPLC mission, the design solution purposefully serves as a means to educate the participants and reinforce the importance of the issues surrounding the civil rights movement. The siting of the building enhances these features by pushing back onto the site to create a public plaza and raising up from its concrete base to provide unobstructed views of Dr. Kings church from the Civil Rights Memorial. From inside the building, the north and south facades are treated in a manner that highlights specific views of the memorial, creating a reminder of SPLC’s primary goals and mission.
Further emphasizing the importance of the site, the double-height library/work spaces located on the south facade, provide a specific and directed view of the Civil Rights Memorial from within and create a visible connection to the visitors of the memorial, between the civil rights activist of the past and those currently working for the cause.
Awards Received
2008 - AIA Montgomery, AL Chapter Honorable Mention
2004 - AIA Gulf States Region Honor Award
2001 - AIA Philadelphia Gold Medal
1998 - AIA Philadelphia Award of Recognition
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