Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library
Theodore Roosevelt Foundation
Information
The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is a forthcoming cultural institution in Medora, North Dakota, designed by Snøhetta with JLG Architects as Architect of Record. Conceived to honor the life, legacy, and conservation ethos of the 26th President of the United States, the Library is envisioned as an immersive landscape experience that blends architecture, ecology, and storytelling. As a project rooted in place, memory, and environmental stewardship, the institution required a signage, wayfinding, and donor recognition system that could support the architectural vision while reinforcing the values of courage, curiosity, and civic responsibility embedded in its mission.
Studio Loutsis was engaged to lead the development of signage, wayfinding, donor recognition, and retail environmental graphics for the 250 acre campus. The scale and complexity of the project demanded a system that could operate seamlessly across a diverse sequence of spaces, from expansive outdoor trails and overlooks to intimate interior galleries and public gathering areas. Early work centered on understanding the architectural language, regional materials, visitor paths, and interpretive goals. This included integrating signage strategies into stone, timber, metal, among many more architectural materials, and ensuring the communication system matched the project’s overarching commitment to durability, sustainability, and respect for the land.
A major component of the work involved designing a donor recognition strategy that aligns with the architectural material palette and the emotional resonance of philanthropy for a project of national significance. The donor system was conceived to feel embedded into the architecture rather than applied onto it, creating moments of quiet acknowledgement that honor supporters while maintaining the integrity of the built environment. This approach extends across tiered donor categories, naming opportunities, and special recognitions, each requiring its own level of visibility and spatial expression.
Vehicular and pedestrian wayfinding were developed through extensive collaboration with the architectural and exhibition teams, ensuring clarity across interior and exterior circulation. Visitor movement is choreographed through a combination of trail markers, building identification, interpretive touchpoints, and interior directional cues. Material testing and prototyping were essential, particularly for the modular wayfinding signage, which required research into attachment methods and long-term performance.
Studio Loutsis also developed the signage and visual language for the Library’s retail environment. The integrated magnetic retail system balances flexibility with consistency, supporting changing merchandise, seasonal offerings, and operational needs with ease.
The result is an integrated signage and environmental graphics system that supports the architectural vision, strengthens the institutional identity, and enhances the visitor experience across the entire campus. Studio Loutsis continues to work closely with the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, providing design direction and strategic guidance as the project advances toward construction and opening.
ARCHITECT
Snøhetta
