A Large-Scale Prototype and Medium that Connects with Nature
On the eroded terrain of the North Dakota Badlands in the north-central United States, architecture becomes part of the landscape. Planned for Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States who served in the early 20th century, the library moves beyond the building-centered monumentality of previous presidential libraries. Conceived as a topographic structure integrating architecture and landscape, it redefines the typology through a landscape-based spatial experience.
Located on a 376,000㎡ site adjacent to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, roughly the size of 53 soccer fields, the library spans approximately 8,825㎡. Architecture, interiors, and landscape design are guided by the concept “The Library is the Landscape,” which shapes the building‘s form, circulation, materials, and ecological strategies. The architecture emerges from a steep butte. Its defining feature is a 11,200㎡ prairie roof. Covered with soil and vegetation, the roof becomes both the building’s envelope and an extension of the surrounding terrain, allowing visitors to walk across it. A 1.6km elevated boardwalk crosses the prairie, descending close to the ground and rising above it. The route creates a dynamic sequence of views, immersion, movement, and pause, like a hike through the landscape.
The interior is also structured as a narrative journey. A circulation path moving between light and darkness reflects Roosevelt‘s personal journey. Outside the windows are views of Elkhorn Ranch and the national park landscape—places where Roosevelt developed his conservation philosophy while running a ranch, and public conservation landscapes shaped by the policies he advanced during his presidency. Skylights bring natural light deep into the galleries, shaping the exhibition atmosphere. The library includes climate-controlled galleries, an auditorium capable of hosting presidential debates, and infrastructure supporting digital archives and emerging sustainable technologies.
The primary material palette—mass timber, reclaimed regional wood, low-carbon concrete, and rammed-earth walls made from locally sourced soil—reveals the project‘s deep connection to place. The natural layers of the earthen walls echo the geological strata of the Badlands, emphasizing that the building is not simply placed on the land but formed from the materials of the land itself. Sustainability extends beyond technical performance into the operation of the site. The library pursues the highest environmental standards, adopting the “Four Zeros” strategy of zero energy, zero water, zero emissions, and zero waste, while restoring the ecology of the 376,000㎡ site.
Although the library opens in July 2026, the landscape will not be considered complete. More than 200 native plant species are planted across the living roof and restored site, while land management practices such as grazing, haying, and controlled burns continue through public programs. Visitors do not encounter a finished garden, but an evolving ecosystem and become participants in its ongoing evolution. Moving beyond the familiar idea of architecture within the landscape, the project uses architecture as a medium that reveals the rhythms of nature, the flow of terrain, and ecological cycles. A living landscape and a large-scale prototype exploring how architecture can connect with nature and future generations.
Project: The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library / Location: Medora, North Dakota, United States / Architect: Snøhetta / Architect of record: JLG Architects / Construction team: JE Dunn, W.L. Hall, Mercer Timber, True North, Winn Construction, Earth Wall Builders + Winn Construction, Modular Trail Structures, RES, Dimensional Innovations / Structural engineer: MKA (Magnusson Klemencic); Steyer Engineering (Local) / Sustainability: Atelier Ten, JLG Architects (certifications) / Mechanical engineer: Morrissey Engineering / Electrical engineer: Morrissey Engineering / Lighting engineer: Arup / Traffic engineering: KLJ / Landscape architect: Snøhetta / Client: Theodore Roosevelt Library Foundation / Use: Library / Site area: 376,357.65m2 / Gross floor area: 8,825.79m2 / Roof area: 11,241.29 (Accessible green roof) / Materials: Mass timber, rammed earth (first wall of its kind in North Dakota), low-carbon concrete / Design, Construction: 2020-2026 / Completion: 2026 / Photograph: ©Nic Lehoux(courtesy of the architect)
