Andrew P. Kashevaroff State Library, Archives, and Museum

The Andrew P. Kashevaroff State Library, Archives, and Museum (locally known as SLAM) anchors the arts and culture district in Alaska’s capital city of Juneau. SLAM is of statewide importance for its function and locally crucial for its resources, public spaces, and contribution to Juneau’s urban fabric. The site facilitates pedestrian flow through and within, provides areas for seating and comfort, includes planting with all-season interest, and acts as a key location for gatherings and events. The building and site include a robust 1% For Art program, with the central plaza and its surroundings fully integrated as public space and the “Pivot Plaza” installation. Beyond a typical design process, the design team worked closely with the artist to seamlessly integrate numerous fused glass fabrications and metal elements into the plaza design.

Initially brought into the project by the artist, we refined the artist’s conceptual site design, stemming from a desire to embed fused glass artwork into a larger landscape-scale composition. A geometry and detail-oriented approach aligned well with the artist, and the collaboration led to achieving and exceeding his initial vision. The technical aspects included reconciling complex geometries with grading design and combining various materials in the ground plane, including stainless steel insert strips to accent particular alignments, granite panels to accent forms, colored concrete, and adjacent concrete and granite seating to define the space.

Location: Juneau

Client: State of Alaska DOT&PF

Components: Landscape Design, Site Design