The MLK library is closing on Saturday for three years of renovations. The library was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and is his only building in D.C.; it was completed in 1972 after his death. The design for the building combined Mies’ modernist features plus specs from a 1961 Booz Allen study. Booz Allen believed that modern technologies of lighting and air conditioning meant that buildings such as libraries did not need windows. The building has a brick facade on the ground floor, and is black steel and dark glass above that. Parts of the interior are very dark, and the modernization will bring in much additional light, plus such currently desired features such as a cafe, roof terrace, and creative maker spaces. The building is designated as an historic landmark, so the renovations will retain much of the look of the original building.