New York City architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien will design the new Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.
The Chicago Tribune reports that President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama chose the husband-and-wife design duo over six other prestigious firms.
Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects has a number of cultural and academic projects in its portfolio, including the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia and the Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago. Williams and Tsien became architectural partners in 1986. And as the Tribune reports, President Obama awarded them a National Medal of Arts in 2013.
The Barack Obama Foundation began its search for an architect last August, and the field of 140 architects was whittled down to seven finalists in December. The other finalists were Diller Scofidio + Renfro, SHoP Architects, Snohetta, Adjaye Associates, Renzo Piano Building Workshop, and John Ronan Architects.
The center, which is expected to cost more than $500 million, will be built in either Washington Park or Jackson Park in Chicago. It will have presidential archives, a museum dedicated to Obama’s tenure, and other digital exhibits and features.
The Tribune reports that hundreds of millions of dollars still need to be raised, and that construction isn’t scheduled to begin until after January 2017. The center should be completed by 2021.
Related Stories
| May 13, 2014
Steven Holl's sculptural Institute for Contemporary Art set to break ground at VCU
The facility will have two entrances—one facing the city of Richmond, Va., the other toward VCU's campus—to serve as a connection between "town and gown."
| May 13, 2014
19 industry groups team to promote resilient planning and building materials
The industry associations, with more than 700,000 members generating almost $1 trillion in GDP, have issued a joint statement on resilience, pushing design and building solutions for disaster mitigation.
| May 13, 2014
Libeskind wins competition to design Canadian National Holocaust Monument
A design team featuring Daniel Libeskind and Gail Dexter-Lord has won a competition with its design for the Canadian National Holocaust Monument in Toronto. The monument is set to open in the autumn of 2015.
| May 11, 2014
Final call for entries: 2014 Giants 300 survey
BD+C's 2014 Giants 300 survey forms are due Wednesday, May 21. Survey results will be published in our July 2014 issue. The annual Giants 300 Report ranks the top AEC firms in commercial construction, by revenue.
| May 9, 2014
New York Public Library scraps drastic renovation plans
The New York Public Library's controversial renovation, involving the removal of stacks from the Schwarzman building and the closing of the mid-Manhattan branch, has been dropped in favor of a less dramatic plan.
| May 2, 2014
World's largest outdoor chandelier tops reworked streetscape for Cleveland's PlayhouseSquare
Streetscape project includes monumental gateway portals, LED signage, and a new plaza, fire pit, sidewalk café, and alfresco dining area.
| May 2, 2014
Must see: French pavilion to take food from roof to table
France has presented its design for Expo Milano 2015 in Milan—its representative building will be covered in gardens on the outside, from which food will be harvested and served inside.
| Apr 30, 2014
Visiting Beijing's massive Chaoyang Park Plaza will be like 'moving through a urban forest'
Construction work has begun on the 120,000-sm mixed-use development, which was envisioned by MAD architects as a modern, urban forest.
| Apr 29, 2014
USGBC launches real-time green building data dashboard
The online data visualization resource highlights green building data for each state and Washington, D.C.
Smart Buildings | Apr 28, 2014
Cities Alive: Arup report examines latest trends in urban green spaces
From vertical farming to glowing trees (yes, glowing trees), Arup engineers imagine the future of green infrastructure in cities across the world.
