The Center for Civil and Human Rights tells the story and brings to life the American civil rights movement and introduces past and current human rights issues across the globe. Rockwell Group designed the Center’s exhibition spaces in collaboration with director, writer and producer George C. Wolfe and human rights expert and activist Jill Savitt. The Freelon Group (merged with Perkins+Will) and HOK are the architects for the project.
Design Concept: The stories of civil and human rights are told throughout the building; beginning from the lobby. Iconic imagery integrated into the architecture establishes the overall narrative and delineate gallery locations, and visitors can choose to start with the more historical Civil Rights galleries, the contemporary Human Rights galleries, or the artifacts of the Martin Luther King, Jr. collection.
The stories and messages throughout the galleries are delivered through a variety of media, including traditional graphics, immersive projections, individual interactive kiosks, and group interactive stations. The distinct strategies will serve to address the varying needs of different types of visitors, as well as provide a wide range of experiences in order to engage visitors on different levels.