Less than a month after the University of Hawaii released designs from world renowned architects for its bid to host the Barack Obama Presidential Library, fellow bidder (and popular contender) University of Chicago has finally released its plans for the library—but without designs of the actual library building itself.
Renderings by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) that accompanied the university’s statement officially released yesterday on UC's website depicted what development in the area would look like if the library were to open there.
“Locating the Barack Obama Presidential Library on Chicago’s South Side offers a rare chance to reinvigorate the economy of nearby communities and make improvements for the area’s infrastructure and parks,” Susan Sher, Senior Adviser to University of Chicago President Robert J. Zimmer, told UChicago News.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, there are two proposed sites for the plan, both owned by the Chicago Park District in Chicago’s South Side, near the university’s campus in Hyde Park.
The first is 22 acres in Washington Park, extending west to the Garfield Boulevard CTA station by Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The second location is 21 acres in Jackson Park, not far from the Museum of Science and Industry.
The university is promising to replace any park land it takes for the project and disclosed some suggestions of where the new green space could be relocated.
For further details about the land acquisition plans, read the Chicago Sun-Times report by Lynn Sweet.
Rendering of what the developed area on Jackson Park would look like. Courtesy SOM
Related Stories
Building Team Awards | Jun 1, 2016
Multifamily tower and office building revitalize Philadelphia cathedral
The Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral capitalizes on hot property to help fund much needed upgrades and programs.
Building Team Awards | Jun 1, 2016
Central utility power plant takes center stage at UC San Diego Jacobs Medical Center
An undulating roof, floor-to-ceiling glass, and façade scheme give visual appeal to a plant that serves the 10-story medical center.
Architects | May 31, 2016
JLG Architects acquires Minneapolis-based Studio Five Architects
Led by Linda McCracken-Hunt, SFA is one of Minnesota’s oldest woman-owned architecture firms.
Building Team Awards | May 31, 2016
Gonzaga's new student center is a bustling social hub
Retail mall features, comfortable furniture, and floor-to-ceiling glass add vibrancy to the new John J. Hemmingson Center.
Building Team Awards | May 27, 2016
Big police academy trains thousands of New York's finest
The Police Training Academy in Queens, N.Y., consists of a 480,000-sf academic/administration building and a 240,000-sf physical training facility, linked by an aerial pedestrian bridge.
Building Team Awards | May 26, 2016
Cimpress office complex built during historically brutal Massachusetts winter
Lean construction techniques were used to build 275 Wyman Street during a winter that brought more than 100 inches of snow to suburban Boston.
Building Team Awards | May 25, 2016
New health center campus provides affordable care for thousands of Northern Californians
The 38,000-sf, two-level John & Susan Sobrato Campus in Palo Alto is expected to serve 25,000 patients a year by the end of the decade.
Architects | May 24, 2016
Lissoni Architettura’s NYC Aquatrium takes first place in New York City Waterfront Design competition
NYC Aquatrium was selected from among 178 proposals from 40 countries as the winner of Arch Out Loud’s NYC Aquarium & Public Waterfront design competition
Building Team Awards | May 24, 2016
Los Angeles bus depot squeezes the most from a tight site
The Building Team for the MTA Division 13 Bus Operations and Maintenance Facility fit 12 acres’ worth of programming in a multi-level structure on a 4.8-acre site.
Building Team Awards | May 23, 2016
'Greenest ballpark' proves a winner for St. Paul Saints
Solar arrays, a public art courtyard, and a picnic-friendly “park within a park" make the 7,210-seat CHS Field the first ballpark to meet Minnesota sustainable building standards.
