Completed in 1971 and located in Austin, Texas, the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library has received the 25-Year Award from the Texas Society of Architects, a regional component of the American Institute of Architects. Presented annually, the award recognizes distinguished architecture in Texas that has stood the test of time by retaining its character and architectural integrity.
Designed by SOM in association with Brooks, Barr, Graeber & White, the library houses a collection of material from President Johnson’s entire political career. The 10-story, travertine-clad building’s signature space is its Great Hall, which prominently displays four floors of archival stacks that contain 45 million documents from Johnson’s term as President of the United States, held in thousands of buckrum-covered boxes adorned with gold Presidential seals. An adjacent, monumental stairway leads visitors to an exhibit area, audio-visual displays, and an auditorium. The top story of the library features study rooms, curators’ offices, a small research room, a reference library, and a suite occupied by the President in his retirement.