The Silos is a civic center set in 2050, located on historic Court Avenue in downtown Des Moines. Designed to serve both the city and state, it expands the Des Moines Farmers Market into a year-round venue with vendor stalls, a voting history museum, and a flexible event space for caucusing, elections, and public gatherings.

Rooted in Midwestern identity, the building reinterprets the familiar red brick silo. Its monolithic forms and vertical columns evoke strength and civic gravity, while glass-brick lobbies and skylit oculi create moments of light, reflection, and spatial drama; each oculus is precisely oriented to enhance daily use.

Inside, mezzanines connect volumes through illuminated corridors, guiding users through a spatial procession. A reconstructed prairie and integrated water collection system offer environmental resilience and moments of calm.

Built with robotic bricklaying, The Silos blends old and new, anchoring Iowan iconography while housing the democratic future.