Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library

Unique glazing solution sheds light on D.C.’s Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library renovation

Glazing experts used contemporary glass interlayer technology to help maintain the modernist look of the Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Memorial Library, a treasured Mies van der Rohe-designed building in Washington,
D.C. The library renovation weaves the legacies of both the famed architect and civil rights champion into one modern space. The 39,600-m2 (426,000- sq ft) adaptive reuse project maintains the powerful simplicity of the original building‘s distinctive black glass-and-steel facade.

The library’s rectangular form has three glazed floors, which float above a first floor recessed behind a colonnade of black steel columns. The library renovation was designed by Dutch architecture firm Mecanoo and U.S.-
based OTJ Architects.

The glazing solution was as elegant as the building itself. To accommodate the building’s original slender frames for single-ply glass, the new glazing needed to meet modern energy, security, and acoustic requirements. The building’s frames, integral to the architect’s commitment to simplicity, could not accommodate a typical insulated glass unit. By laminating a solar control coating to a traditional Saflex Clear PVB interlayer in a two-ply glass makeup, the team achieved several objectives. The glass surfaces and coatings are as follows: 8-mm AN COOL-LITE® KNT164 #2 | 1.52-mm Saflex Clear PVB interlayer | 8-mm AN PARSOL® BRONZE

While it is not difficult from a processing perspective to laminate a coated glass with Saflex Clear PVB, the performance and durability of the combination must be carefully balanced. The position of the coating in the glass “sandwich” is also important. For a solar control coating, position number two is typically the most effective. In addition, the solar/optical properties of the coating change as the refractive index of the medium it faces changes. All these elements were considered by Eastman’s customer, Saint-Gobain Glas Solutions Eckelt Glas GmbH, who ensured that the combination provided the expected solar/optical performance and durability.

By encapsulating the coating inside the laminate, the coating is protected from external factors such as moisture and abrasion. While many coatings are not stable enough to be used on an external surface, this problem is typically resolved by placing the coating in an insulated glass unit. When that is not possible, as in the case of the library, laminating a coating and PVB together becomes an effective solution. “This is a trend that started some years ago, and we expect to see even more widespread use in the future,” says Wim Stevels, architectural industry specialist at Eastman.

With solar control addressed by the coating to a large degree, the library benefits in many ways from the use of PVB interlayers. The windows are essentially floor to ceiling. Saflex PVB interlayer offers protection from
accidental breakage—the glass adheres to the interlayer and will not fall onto the busy street below. The acoustic properties of laminated glass also shield outside noise, providing a quieter environment for study and reading. Finally, the PVB interlayer increases UV protection, protecting both library patrons and furnishings from damaging rays.

The final nod to the library’s original facade was the glass choice, PARSOL® BRONZE, which is reminiscent of the 1970s when the library opened. While the use of mass-colored glass may be less common in contemporary
architecture, the choice evokes warm, inviting tones that welcome patrons. Prior to the renovation, the library shelves were near the windows, blocking a great deal of natural light. The architects flipped that configuration, and now people, not books, benefit from the light coming into the building. Once a dark and poorly maintained building, the library has been massively transformed inside and out, becoming a vibrant and sustainable space for patrons to exchange knowledge and find community.