By 2021, Chicago will be the home of the 44th presidential library, built in honor of former US President Barack Obama. Called the Obama Presidential Center, it will feature a library, museum, auditorium, restaurant, and public park.
The$500 million center will be designed by local firm Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects. The company won the commission out of 140 entries in 2016.
On May 3, former President Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama unveiled the design, including a 3D model (pictured below), at the South Shore Cultural Center in Chicago. Mayor Rahm Emanuel, community leaders, and hundreds of Chicago residents attended.
The Obama Presidential Center will be built on Chicago’s South Side. Located 10 miles from downtown, it will be the first presidential library to be built in an urban environment.
#Breaking: Architect's drawing of Obama Presidential Library. pic.twitter.com/WnPyjVA7Bo
— Derrick Blakley (@BlakleyCBS2) May 3, 2017The site, which could stretch up to 225,000 square feet, will center around the museum. That will be the project's tallest building, according to The Chicago Tribune. The museum will have an exhibition space and meeting rooms, while the library will include a collection of documents, emails, photos, and artifacts from Obama's time in office.
The Obama Foundation, the nonprofit leading the center's development, told the Tribune it will be "a working center for civic engagement and a place to inspire people and communities to create change."
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