Informatic Arteries is a library addition in downtown
Washington DC. Focus on new space vs. established
space and respect for initial design intent are paramount.
Movement through space becomes the driving
concept behind the architecture.
Circulation through the library is coerced by a system
of steel louvers which twist and deform, revealing an
image concealed behind it. The image becomes visible
as one moves through the spaces, or “arteries,” as
different viewpoints expose themselves depending on
the louver deformation.
The building becomes navigable and interesting, as
opposed to the original building design, and allows
occupants to discover new uses the library has for
them, and rediscover ones that it had all along.