Steven Holl Architects has topped Kennedy Center in Washington DC with a subterranean trio of geometric pavilions.

In complementary contrast to the monumental original Kennedy Center building by Edward Durell Stone, The Reach's three pavilions are fused with the landscape.

They shape outdoor spaces between them, and frame views to the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and Potomac riverfront.

The three pavilions are interconnected below green roofs to expand the Kennedy Center's interior space with 72,000 square-feet of open studios, rehearsal and performance spaces, and dedicated arts learning spaces.

Embedding much of the expansion under a public landscape offers maximum green space to the community and gives landscape views from the interior spaces.

This project has been longlisted in the cultural building category of Dezeen Awards 2020.

Architect: Steven Holl Architects
Project: The Reach
Read more: Steven Holl Architects