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November 19, 2004
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Jutting out from the south bank of the Arkansas River within a 27-acre public park, the $165 million, 165,000 square-foot Clinton Presidential Library is a needed antidote to the urban ailments of long-suffering Little Rock, Ark. Utilizing Polshek Partnership's sure-handed use of glass and steel, the building, which opened to the public yesterday, includes permanent and temporary exhibitions in a museum, education and media center, café and gift shop.
It is the largest and most expensive presidential library to date, and the costliest private project ever undertaken in central Arkansas.
The design of the 420-foot long main building, which cantilevers over the south bank of the Arkansas River, is a reference to Little Rock's distinctive "Six Bridges" and a metaphor for the progressive goals of the Clinton presidency. It delivers a visual splash with its strong linear focus, its floor-to-ceiling windows, and its layering of glass curtain, steel and aluminum panels, and stone walls. The archive is linked to the main building and includes research and collection storage facilities.
The center will house over 77 million documents, 75,000 artifacts, 1.8 million photographs, and 40 million e-mail messages. The building's main feature is a naturally-lit 240-foot-long, 40-foot-high exhibition space. Other components include a 20,000-square-foot museum designed by Ralph Appelbaum and Associates, New York, plus a 220-seat multi-purpose Great Hall, a 100-seat café, classrooms, and an 80-seat theater as well as replicas of the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room.
Record's January issue will feature full coverage of the library in both print and the web.
Sam
Lubell and Tony Illia
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