Last night we had a wonderful time at the AIA Birmingham Awards Ceremony! We are proud to announce that the design for The Equal Justice Initiative Legacy Pavilion has won an AIA Birmingham Honor Award. And our front lobby and table design has won a Merit Award in the Design Detail category. We're incredibly proud of our team and humbled by these accolades.
Equal Justice Initiative Legacy Pavilion
Honor Award
We are proud to announce that the design for The Equal Justice Initiative Legacy Pavilion has won an AIA Birmingham Honor Award. The pavilion serves as a welcome center for the Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, which are part of EJI’s work to advance truth and justice in America and to more honestly confront the legacy of slavery, lynching, and segregation.
The design featured light and transparency with a perforated steel screen façade serving as a dynamic, living sculpture connecting the park, porch, and lobby. As reflected light changed throughout the day and night, sunlight was filtered through the images and onto the visitors as they entered.
The perforated stainless steel front screen honored seven key civil rights figures, helping visitors understand the unique role Montgomery played in fueling a civil rights movement that continues to reverberate around the world.
Williams Blackstock Architects Front Lobby and Table
Merit Award - Design Detail
The reception lobby features a sleek and minimalistic table, with a skillful interplay of charcoal soapstone and a single piece of folded blackened steel. The cantilevered effect of the heavy material is intentionally created to provoke a sense of wonder and challenge the limits of what is possible. Dynamic veining in the natural stone creates a beautiful accent to the wood and steel backdrop.
The sleek high-tech design of the reception area creates a strong juxtaposition to the rustic brick, exposed board-formed concrete structure, and polished concrete floors. The design concept creates an impactful welcome area that respects and celebrates the historic warehouse, juxtaposed with modern innovation, technology, and design.