"This is the kind of commission that only happens once in a lifetime." That's what noted architect James Polshek, founder of Polshek Partnership Architects, had to say when offered the opportunity to design the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Center & Library in Little Rock, Ark. At the dedication ceremonies held earlier this year, 30,000 invited guests braved the rain to watch "The Man From Hope" open the library, archive and museum dedicated to his presidency and whose design he directly influenced.
The site-28 acres directly east of downtown Little Rock, on a run-down former industrial area ("Brownfield") consisting of old warehouses and undeveloped land straddling the south bank of the Arkansas River-was selected to create a new riverfront park linked to a chain of existing riverfront parks. It also is expected to provide the anchor and catalyst for Little Rock's future eastward expansion. To emphasize the center's link with downtown Little Rock, the main entrance is on an axis with East Markham St. and the Rock Island Railroad Bridge. The bridge, which is on the site, has been refurbished as a pedestrian crossing providing a direct link with North Little Rock.