Bowie State University, Martin Luther King, Jr. Center

Bowie, Maryland

Empowering voices of change

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center is an integral part of the Bowie State experience, connecting students across various fields of study in a facility that is designed to encourage student self-expression and foster a collaborative environment for learning and creativity. The Center provides customized, technology-rich learning environments for studies in communication arts and humanities disciplines. These specialty spaces create the stage upon which students at Maryland’s oldest HBCU are “empowered to speak” and “destined to soar,” celebrating Bowie State’s history as a diverse institution and Dr. King’s ideals of empowerment, justice, equity, love, and community.

Client: Bowie State University
Size: 192,000 square feet
Completion Date: 2024
Sustainability: Maryland Green Building Council’s High Performance Green Building Program

Awards:
Honorable Mention, Unbuilt Washington Awards
AIA DC, 2022

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center houses the departments of Language, Literature and Cultural Studies; History and Government; Communications; and Military Science, as well as performing arts spaces.

A tribute wall in the south entrance atrium honors the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, whose influence is felt throughout space.

A pattern of louvres and windows on the facade is a translated waveform of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s voice from his 1964 Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech, calling us to “have the courage to face the uncertainties of the future.”

Each panel in an Historical Legacy Corridor uniquely pairs an academic skill with notable events in African American and campus history to create a non-linear heritage timeline.

Artwork and graphic elements throughout the communal areas are designed to inspire, celebrating the power of ideas and using one’s voice to create change. Bowie State’s 160-year history of empowering change is reflected in the Historical Legacy Corridor. The design features mixed-media artwork highlighting the skills essential to succeed in academic life: Exploring Culture, Thinking Critically, Organizing Change, Speaking Publicly, Reading to Connect, and Analyzing Mindfully. Each panel pairs academic skills with notable events, intending to spark new ways of thinking about shared cultural history.

Every student receiving a Bowie State education will pass through this building at some point in their curriculum. The skills they learn here will give them the self-confidence and practical tools to navigate real-world challenges in future career paths.

Aminta H. Breaux, Bowie State University President

A 1,500-seat auditorium designed for maximum flexibility allows the University to host a wide variety of campus and community events.

An open atrium and central stair connect the Community Inflection to classrooms and offices in the east wing.

A focal point within the north entrance, known as the “Source,” houses recording studios for students and faculty, a screening room, and a resource library.

In a poignant tribute to service and sacrifice, the north “Inflection” space of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center features a memorial to Lt. Richard Collins III, a Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC) candidate at BSU whose life was tragically cut short in a hate crime. Etched into felt panels, Lt. Collins’ image stands as a lasting reminder of the importance of unity, resilience, and remembrance in the face of adversity. An inscription nearby encourages students to “Serve with honor. Live with purpose.”

An enclave on the 2nd floor of the Student Inflection serves as a memorial to Lt. Richard Collins III.

Bowie State's ROTC program is located within the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center and averages 85-95 Cadets each semester from BSU and partner institutions.

Sustainability solutions include: rooftop photovoltaic arrays, EV charging, and an LPD reduction of 43%, which exceeds the 2030 Challenge goal. The project also converts an existing parking lot into new green spaces for recreational use and adds new areas of native planting, allowing for a 79% reduction in landscape potable water use.

Project Team

Renee Rodriguez

Carl Knutson

Tom Butcavage

Katie Janson

Bowie State University, Martin Luther King, Jr. Center

Project Team

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