The Obama Foundation has recently given the first look at the design for the Obama Presidential Center. The new campus, designed by Todd Williams Billie Tsien Architects, is made up of three main buildings that surround a public plaza that extends into the landscape.
The three buildings will be a multi-story museum, a library, and a forum. The library and the forum will both be one story and their roofs will be covered with plantings to create new parkland. Pathways will lead to the roofs of these buildings and provide views of Lake Michigan, the new public plaza, and the lagoon.
The museum will stand on the northern end of the campus and is meant to serve as the Center’s beacon and mark a visitor’s arrival. Classrooms, labs, and outdoor spaces are all included in the design. Additionally, the campus will be open to the public and provides spaces for events, trainings, and other gatherings. The goal of the new campus is to provide a space for “doing and making, as well as looking and learning,” the Obama Foundation website says.
Image courtesy of the Obama Foundation.
Early renderings show each of the three buildings clad in a light-colored stone. Each building has large swaths of glass incorporated into the design, as well. The campus will act as a transition space between the city, landscape, lagoon, and lake, and allow visitors to flow through the plaza and architecture and into the park beyond.
The project will be, at minimum, LEED v4 Platinum but the architects and planners are looking into the possibility of surpassing those qualifications.
Related Stories
Wood | May 14, 2021
What's next for mass timber design?
An architect who has worked on some of the nation's largest and most significant mass timber construction projects shares his thoughts on the latest design trends and innovations in mass timber.
Cultural Facilities | Apr 1, 2021
A Connecticut firm deploys design to assist underserved people and communities
Hartford, Conn.-based JCJ Architecture traces its roots to 1936, when the U.S. was just coming out of an economic depression and its unemployment rate was still 14%. In 2021, with the country trying to recover economically from the impact of the coronavirus, and with questions about social inequity entering the public debate as rarely before, JCJ has focused its design work on projects and clients that are committed to social responsibility and advocacy, particularly for underserved or marginalized communities.
Cultural Facilities | Mar 1, 2021
Moise Safra Center completes in New York City
The project will act as a second home for the Jewish community it serves.
Market Data | Feb 24, 2021
2021 won’t be a growth year for construction spending, says latest JLL forecast
Predicts second-half improvement toward normalization next year.
Giants 400 | Dec 16, 2020
Download a PDF of all 2020 Giants 400 Rankings
This 70-page PDF features AEC firm rankings across 51 building sectors, disciplines, and specialty services.
Giants 400 | Dec 3, 2020
2020 Cultural Facilities Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. cultural facilities sector
AECOM, Arup, and Populous head BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest cultural facilities sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2020 Giants 400 Report.
Government Buildings | Nov 13, 2020
Tax shortfalls nip government projects in the bud
Federal contracts are proceeding, but states and cities are delaying, deferring, and looking for private investment.
Cultural Facilities | Oct 13, 2020
Thailand’s Elephant Museum reinforces the bond between humans and beasts
The complex, in Surin Province, was built with 480,000 clay bricks.
Libraries | Sep 25, 2020
Major renovation to Providence’s downtown library is completed
The $29 million project adds light and collaborative space to a 67-year-old wing.
Cultural Facilities | Sep 24, 2020
America's 11 most endangered historic places - 2020 list
Annually, this list spotlights important examples of our nation’s architectural and cultural heritage that, without applied action and immediate advocacy, will be destroyed or face irreparable damage.