Snøhetta’s Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Opens
A Living Landscape Dedicated to America’s Conservation President
Opening on July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the United States, the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library (TRPL) is designed by Snøhetta as the most regenerative cultural building in the Americas and one of the most ambitious projects pursuing the full Living Building certification, the world’s most rigorous environmental standard.
Located in Medora, North Dakota on a 93-acre site adjacent to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, the 95,000-square-foot Library is expected to welcome more than 200,000 visitors annually. Serving as Design Architect, Landscape Architect, and Interior Designer, Snøhetta developed a fully integrated approach that unifies architecture, landscape, and narrative into a single continuous experience.
The library is the landscape
Guided by the principle “The Library is the Landscape,” the architecture rises from a butte, its accessible earthen roof spanning 121,000 square feet of living prairie. A nearly mile-long elevated boardwalk threads through the restored landscape at shifting elevations, alternating between panoramic overlooks and ground-level immersion, with outdoor classrooms, reflective spaces, and a suspended netted overlook above the terrain. The accessible boardwalk remains horizontal, at times rising above or dropping below the undulating terrain, drawing attention to the earth. TRPL is the first presidential library accessible by hiking trail, mountain bike, horseback, and car.
"Theodore Roosevelt understood that conservation is not simply about protecting land, it is about defining our relationship to the world and our responsibility to future generations. His conservation ethic emerged from a profound encounter with the American landscape, and we wanted visitors to experience that same sense of discovery. Rather than placing a building within the landscape, we sought to make the landscape itself the primary act of architecture,” says Craig Dykers, Snøhetta Founding Partner.
“Every path, every view, and every material decision is designed to deepen the connection between people and place, transforming a visit into an encounter with the earth. In doing so, the Library becomes more than a repository of history, it becomes an invitation to engage with the values of stewardship, civic responsibility, and wonder that continue to define Roosevelt's legacy," Dykers continues.
Choreographed passageways
Inside the Library, carefully choreographed passageways move visitors between light and dark, echoing Roosevelt’s own journey. Large windows frame historically significant landscapes including views toward Roosevelt’s historic Elkhorn Ranch and his legacy of public lands, while skylights draw natural daylight deep into the galleries. The building includes climate-controlled galleries, an auditorium capable of hosting presidential debates, and robust infrastructure supporting digital collections and emerging sustainable technologies.
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are - building in the challenging Badlands locale requires strategy and resourcefulness. The project elevates local materials and relies upon North Dakota know-how to craft a building and landscape made from the Badlands,” says Snøhetta’s Project Director Matt McMahon.
Rammed earth and local materials
The material palette is rooted in place: mass timber, reclaimed regional wood, low-carbon concrete, and rammed-earth walls constructed from locally sourced soil whose natural striations echo the surrounding geology. Local fabricators partnered with national experts to deliver novel assemblies, presidential scale, and ambitious timeline. Material selections eliminate harmful Red List chemicals and are detailed for disassembly, welcoming aging and hands-on use over time.
"The landscape is not the setting for this project, it is its primary teacher. Through restoration, access, and immersion, we sought to create opportunities for visitors to experience the ecological processes, seasonal changes, and living systems that continue to shape the Badlands. Our goal was to frame a landscape that invites exploration and discovery while demonstrating that stewardship is not a fixed goal, but an ongoing practice. As visitors move through restored prairie, encounter native species, and witness the rhythms of land management, they become participants in an evolving ecosystem. In this way, the landscape becomes something to engage with, care for, and learn from," says Michelle Delk, Partner and Landscape Discipline Director, Snøhetta.
The only Living Certified presidential library
Conservation drives every decision. The Library targets the Living Building Challenge’s full Living Certification alongside the highest levels of LEED and SITES, guided by a “Four Zeros” framework: zero energy, zero water, zero emissions, and zero waste, in addition to full ecological restoration across the 93-acre site.
“To honor the Badlands and Roosevelt's legacy, we sought boldness in balance with nature, and a vision beyond 100 years—just as he would have. Following TR's call for ‘honesty and efficiency,’ we created a library that works with the land, draws on local wisdom, and will sustain itself for generations to come,” says Aaron Dorf, Snøhetta Director and Sustainability and Building design Lead.
Upon certification, TRPL will be the only Living Certified presidential library and will be the largest and most complex Living Certified cultural institution in the world. Further, it will be the most remote and least densely populated location ever to pursue Full LBC certification at this scale.
The Native Plant Project, developed with Resource Environmental Solutions and North Dakota State University, has cultivated more than 200 native species across the living roof and restored site, connecting to 3,000 acres of National Grasslands nearby. Annual land management practices including grazing, haying, and controlled burns are integrated into public programming, inviting visitors to become active participants in the life of the land.
Gallery
Photos by: Nic Lehoux
Click here to download high-res images.
Prime Project Team:
- Project Lead, Design Architect & Design Landscape Architect: Snøhetta
- Lead Architects, Landscape Architects, Designers: Craig Dykers, Michelle Delk, Matthew McMahon, Aaron Dorf, Kurt Marsh, Daniel Marty, Prince Langley
- Architect of Record: JLG Architects (Johnson Laffen Galloway)
- Landscape Architect of Record: Confluence
- Contractor: JEDunn
- Structural Engineer: MKA (Magnusson Klemencic Associates); Steyer Engineering (local)
- MEP/FP/IT: Morrissey Engineering
- Ecologist: RES
- Civil Engineer: Sherwood Engineers (design); AE2s (local)
- Envelope: Front
- Sustainability: Atelier Ten; JLG Architects (certifications)
- Lighting, Acoustics, AV, Theater: Arup
- Traffic Engineer: KLJ
- Food Service: Ricca Design Studios
- FF&E: Snøhetta, JLG
- Security: ZBeta (NIC Direct to Owner)
- Exhibits: Local Projects, Future of Storytelling (NIC Direct to Owner)
- Signage & Wayfinding: Snøhetta, Studio Loutsis (NIC Direct to Owner)
Additional Press Resources:
Press Contact
Rikki Jhaveri
Morten Moum