Montgomery
Interpretive Center
The Montgomery Interpretive Center exists to memorialize the people, events, and path connected with the 1965 civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery. The third of three interpretive centers stretching the 54-mile route, the project is located adjacent to the Alabama State University football stadium along a corner block that serves as a gateway into campus.
The design navigated the site’s steep topography by setting the larger exhibit volume into the ground and terracing the plane along the main facade to the entry. The building form mimics the unique wedge shape of the site by using voids to create exterior spaces. A grand covered porch allows for exterior gathering space and entry into the building.
The primary elevation captures the spirit of the march through an 18-foot-tall limestone facade with a sandblasted relief pattern replicating an iconic image of the march. The angle of the halftone pattern reinforces a sense of movement and the rough crater-like relief in the smooth stone creates a tactile experience as one walks past.
Location
Montgomery, Alabama
Owner
Alabama State University
Status
Completed
Size
10,200 square feet
Awards
AIA Gulf States Region, Honor Award
AIA Alabama, Honor Award
James Orange and James Bevel with other marchers on U.S. Highway 80. // Image by Spider Martin for the Birmingham News, courtesy of Alabama Department of Archives and History.
Ralph Abernathy and Martin Luther King, Jr during the Selma to Montgomery March. (Hosea Williams is standing behind them, and John Lewis is to the right). // Image by Spider Martin for the Birmingham News, courtesy of Alabama Department of Archives and History.
Marchers on U.S. Highway 80 during the Selma to Montgomery March. (John Lewis front row on the left). // Image by Spider Martin for the Birmingham News, courtesy of Alabama Department of Archives and History.
