The Obama Presidential Center will become a catalyst for activating this historic area of the city, reinforcing its role as public space. Among the alternatives initially considered—including Manhattanville, at Columbia University, and the University of Illinois—Jackson Park was ultimately selected by President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama as the site for the new center. The complex has been designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects and built by Lakeside Alliance, with Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates Inc. collaborating as landscape architect.
The project’s first operation is urban and landscape-based in nature. The center incorporates a new 1.5-hectare park that will contribute to the revitalization of Jackson Park, extending the experience of the campus beyond its buildings. This system of open spaces integrates areas for gathering, pedestrian routes, and community-oriented programs, including the Eleanor Roosevelt Fruit and Vegetable Garden and a 0.5-hectare play area.
The Obama Presidential Center Museum in Chicago, IL, on Thursday, May 14, 2026. Photography by Angie McMonigal. Courtesy of The Obama Foundation.
Arrival at the complex is organized through John Lewis Plaza, conceived as the main point of access and articulation between the Forum, the Museum, and the Library. From this plaza, visitors enter a campus composed of distinct programmatic elements, yet bound together by a shared civic strategy: the center is not conceived merely as a presidential archive or monument, but as a place for encounter, learning, and public participation.
The Forum concentrates much of this collective dimension. Its interior brings together an auditorium, a recording studio, a multimedia room, the Democracy Lab, a restaurant, and a café. This program is complemented by a branch of the Chicago Public Library, equipped with a range of multipurpose spaces that reinforce the complex’s everyday and neighbourhood-oriented vocation.
The Sky Room at The Obama Presidential Center Museum in Chicago, IL, on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. Photograph by Taylor Glascock. Courtesy of The Obama Foundation.
The Museum forms the narrative core of the center. Organized across four floors, it offers an immersive journey dedicated to the principal achievements, debates, and strategies of American politics during Obama’s presidency. The exhibition experience unfolds progressively, guiding visitors from a historical and political reading of the period toward a broader interpretation of its civic legacy.
Rising above the complex is the Museum Tower, the most recognizable element of the campus. Its form is inspired by the joining of four hands, an image that evokes collective work and the shared construction of democracy. Through its height and presence, the tower acts as a visual landmark from different points within the park and the campus.
Hadiya Pendleton Atrium at The Obama Presidential Center Museum in Chicago, IL, on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. Photograph by Angie McMonigal. Photograph courtesy of The Obama Foundation.
At the top of the tower is the Sky Room, an overlook offering panoramic views of Lake Michigan and the city of Chicago. This space is wrapped by a sculptural screen located at the upper corner of the building, composed of fragments from a speech delivered by President Obama in 2015. In addition to introducing a symbolic and textual dimension, the screen functions as a sunshade and frames the views, transforming the end of the route into a spatial, urban, and commemorative experience.
