At Morgan State’s Thurgood Marshall Hall, a new residence hall and dining facility, Hord Coplan Macht had the honor of visually telling the story of the many facets of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Thurgood Marshall’s life throughout the building and surrounding landscape. We shared the story of his life’s milestones, his life’s work and his legacy in Maryland and even more specifically, Baltimore.

Working closely with Professor Larry Gibson, a renowned Thurgood Marshall historian and author, we developed exhibits and graphics to convey Marshall’s story from various angels. We used historic photography depicting the many civil rights cases he argued that have been incorporated as ‘found moments’ on each floor of the residential tower. In the main lobby we created a corten steel exhibit dedicated to ‘The Life of Thurgood Marshall’ which tells the story of his life, both personal and professional, throughout each decade. But the most unique item in the space is the two story portrait which was painted by one of the Morgan State University students, Alexandria Wingate, as her senior project.

In addition to the graphics that share the story of Mr. Marshall’s life and legacy, Hord Coplan Macht also designed a complex wayfinding and signage system that integrates into the interior design pallet of finishes and building architecture. The system included the exterior building signage identifying the campus and building itself, interior wayfinding and ADA room signage.

To learn more about the architecture services Hord Coplan Macht provided for this project, click here.