Bowie State

Located in Bowie, Maryland, the Bowie State University’s Martin Luther King Jr. Communication Arts & Humanities Building opened its doors in late 2024. Imagined as an educational hub to connect students and faculty across various disciplines and fields of study, the facility was designed to inspire collaboration, interaction and imagination. The building houses the Department of Communication, History and Government, Language, Literature and Cultural Studies and Military Science (ROTC). Global architecture firm Perkins+Will thoughtfully designed this 192,000 square foot building to provide an abundance of natural daylight and collaborative spaces, and to serve as a space that would amplify the power of voice and self-expression. The building houses a 1,500 seat auditorium, two radio and television studios, a ROTC plaza, an amphitheater, and more.

The design mandate focused on visibility, connectivity, and storytelling to make the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center is an inclusive, welcoming space that every student, at some point in their curriculum, will pass through. A vocal waveform façade on the auditorium was inspired by the sound wave pattern of Dr. King’s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech from 1964, and glass façades on the north and south faces of the building give a sense of transparency and openness. The South entrance welcomes students and visitors alike with space to connect before and after events in the auditorium.

The structural glass façades at the north and south faces of the building were designed, engineered and supplied by Sentech Architectural Systems. The façades total approximately 11,207 square feet of structural glass and span over 48-ft tall. Sentech’s VetraFin T-Series system includes HSS carbon steel vertical interior fins and stainless-steel toggles. The VetraFin T-Series System is a highly efficient toggle connection system for façades with either full-height face glass or horizontal joints. The system allows for efficient field installation of glass units supported by glass fins, metal fins or steel trusses. This proprietary system offers unparalleled flexibility in design and finish options, offering simple lines, minimal connections and a unique look with no exterior hardware, bolts or plates. It can be used with monolithic, laminated or insulated glass.

“From its façade, inspired by the vocal inflections of Dr. King’s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, to its cutting-edge performance and learning facilities, this building is poised to become a transformative space for students and the campus community.”
– BSU President Aminta H. Breaux

Soaring, open and welcoming, the VetraFin-T façades and the holistic building design brings to life the desire for connection, inflection, empowerment and a sense of openness that honors the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bowie State’s powerful history as a diverse institution that embodies empowerment, justice, equity, love, and community.