The project goal was to revitalize a lost block of Montgomery’s urban fabric. Situated at the opposite end of Dexter Avenue from the State Capitol, we proposed that the block not only contain the Library and Children’s museum, but also leasable space on much of the bottom floor, and offices or residences above.

Fronting the fountain would be a large atrium that slices through the building and acts as the backbone of the Library and Children’s Museum. This atrium serves as the organizing element of the interior space, much like an interior street centered on the historic fountain.

Through the center of the block we also carved out a pedestrian alley to provide easy walkability between Troy University and Dexter plaza. The new corridor is lined with restaurants, art galleries, performing arts venues, and a large auditorium. This auditorium would not only serve the Library and Children’s Museum during the day, but also couple as a venue at night, with spill out plaza space in the alley.

Small-scale development lines Court Street, and a mixed-use liner building wraps the parking deck, reactivating the plaza adjacent to the Federal Courthouse and perhaps even offering Troy student housing in the lofts on upper floors.

The scale of the block is broken down into incremental developments that would relate to the existing fabric of downtown, and also provide a mix of uses that would renew it’s responsibility as the cultural center of the city.