Architecture studio Snøhetta has begun work on the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, releasing the first construction images as well as renderings of the building’s green roof that appears to merge with the landscape.

The library is located just outside of Medora, North Dakota, and is dedicated to Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States, who was born in New York but held property and served in administrative roles in the state.

The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library (TRPL) comprises a long narrow structure built into the rolling Badlands of North Dakota, with a central passageway that runs through the centre of the structure. It will have exhibition areas as well as a large theatre.

From the outside, the building appears as a large berm with plantings on top and sculptural protruding lightwells.

The final structure elements for the sloping roof structure were completed last month, according to Snøhetta, which utilised a mass-timber and steel hybrid system for support.

Elements of the mass-timber structure will be left exposed, especially in the massive breezeway that will serve as the primary circulation between the two main indoor spaces.

As of last month, many of the wood exterior cladding elements as well as the rammed-earth walls that mark the primary entrance to the library have been completed.

The green roof and the natural materials, such as mass timber and rammed earth, are elements of the low-impact, sustainable brief for the project, which Snøhetta wanted to reflect Roosevelt’s commitment to preservation.

“Our design for the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is informed by the president’s personal reflections on the landscape, his commitment to environmental stewardship, and the periods of quiet introspection and civic engagement that marked his life,” said Snøhetta.

“The design functions in harmony with the unique ecology of the region and expresses the conservation ethos for which Roosevelt is remembered.”

Outside, a 1.3-mile (2.1 kilometre) boardwalk will run in a circle around the ridge, connecting the library to overlooks and pavilions to observe the landscape, as well as to hiking trails that lead into Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

Snøhetta is also aiming for ambitious sustainability goals for the building to echo the formal and material gestures of the building towards environmental “harmony”.

“The sustainable ambition of the project’s design can be best broken down into four categories: zero energy, zero emissions, zero water, zero waste,” said the team.

“This approach relies on a carefully calibrated combination of passive strategies and active technologies throughout the site and building.”

With the onset of North Dakota’s harsh winter, enclosures are being erected to continue work on the facades and interior spaces, and the green roof installation is set to take place next year.

Limited exhibitions will begin to take place late next year, with full completion slated for July 2026.

Currently, 15 dedicated presidential libraries exist in the United States, administered by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

However, TRPL is being driven by private non-profits, and the land was purchased for construction by the Roosevelt family.

Snøhetta was selected from a group of competing studios in 2020 that included Studio Gang and Henning Larsen.

In Chicago, work is underway on the Barack Obama Presidential Library, designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects. It topped out this year.

The photography and renderings are courtesy of Snøhetta.