chicago — The granite monolith rises above a leafy stretch of Chicago’s South Side neighborhood, an almost windowless exterior more suited to a sci-fi film set than the modern presidential museum inside.
The crew is putting the finishing touches on Obama Presidential Center Before the official public opening on Juneteenth, more than a decade after the site was selected. But the design of the nearly $850 million campus — especially the conspicuous 225-foot soaring height at its north end — still divides the city celebrated as the birthplace of the modern skyscraper.
For some, this is a jarring choice in Barack Obama’s hometown after a period of isolation An uphill battle On its site in a park overlooking the lake where classical style buildings are more common. For others, it’s a bold addition that will shape Chicago’s iconic skyline for decades to come.
Residents likened it to a grain elevator, a ship from the movie “Star Wars” and a shrine.
“It’s completely inappropriate,” said Brenda Nelms, who has lived in the area since the 1970s and leads a group that advocates for nearby Jackson Park, which spans more than 500 acres.
Leaders of the Obama Foundation, which has raised the private money, say they’ve heard it all. They’ve enlisted “Star Wars” actor Mark Hamill for flashy promotional videos May 4A day celebrated by fans of the film series.
“Part of the fun of the center is that everyone will get their own unique experience,” said Valerie Jarrett, the foundation’s CEO and a former Obama adviser. “The design of the building was intended to be attractive and open to people whether they live across the street or across the world.”
Standards of architectural design are high in Chicago, from the modernist skyscrapers built by Louis Sullivan after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 to… Helmut Jahn Postmodern office buildings.
The design conversation is so fierce in the nation’s third-largest city that Chicago Sun-Times architecture critic Lee Bai calls it a “spectator sport.” His initial impression of the Obama Presidential Center was that it seemed more appropriate for a cemetery.
The stunning design has only a few windows, all of which are selectively placed. Foundation officials say the decision also helps protect the artifacts inside from sunlight, including a replica of the Oval Office.
Bee said the museum’s design makes more sense in the context of other low-rise buildings on campus, which include a basketball court, a children’s playground, a public library branch and a business. Notable artists.
He said mixed public reactions have been received by other iconic Chicago buildings. The former John Hancock Center, a 100-story black building marked by giant Xs, was compared to an oil rig shortly after it was built in the 1960s. 875 North Michigan Avenue was renamed in recent years for its address, and the building houses shops, apartments, and offices.
“When we start experiencing buildings, we start imprinting our own impressions,” Bai said. “John Hancock has become less of an oil derrick and more of the building that houses your doctor’s office.”
Edward Keegan, an architecture columnist for the Chicago Tribune, described the Presidential Museum as “a building that doesn’t look like Chicago” because of its few windows and unusual shape. However, it offers a unique perspective on the city.
At the top of the building is a glass-enclosed “Sky Room,” which has panoramic views of Chicago, including north-facing views of downtown, uncommon from this height.
“It doesn’t look like anywhere else in Chicago,” he said. “It feels unique and unexpected.”
The road to the museum was bumpy, although support for Obama remained strong in the Democratic stronghold.
Lawsuits to stop construction began after its location was announced in 2015. Concerns about displacement The low-income and black population living in enclaves near the museum grew. Community groups have lobbied for Housing protectionBut area residents say they are not going any further as home prices near the museum rise.
Construction of the museum involved removing nearly 20 acres of park land and eliminating part of the main road, which residents say is needed to connect residents from other parts of the city and suburbs to downtown.
On a recent tour through the bird sanctuary near the center, activist Robin Kaufman, 82, said she couldn’t fully enjoy the wildflowers beside the secluded ponds as she had before. She watched the ducks paddling across the lake, but couldn’t ignore the center tower jutting above the tree line.
“Everywhere I go, you can see it, so you’re reminded of what’s going on and it’s sad,” she said. “I don’t trust much anything they say.”
She and others worry about what might come to the area because of the Obama Presidential Center.
“It’s a Trojan horse,” said Shannon Bennett of the Kenwood-Oakland Community Organization. “It’s an extreme version of a scheme to transform these communities to benefit another demographic.”
The former president made several design choices with New York-based architects Todd Williams and Billy Tsien. Obama chose a stone design and wanted a soaring tower overlooking the city and not far from where he raised his family and taught law at the University of Chicago.
The tower’s design is intended to depict four hands coming together in solidarity. Wrapped around one side are large 5-foot concrete letters, an excerpt from Obama speech in 2015 Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery March. It begins with the phrase “You are America.”
The Obama Foundation said it has widened some roads, added a new field to the area used by local schools, and the campus also includes a new public library branch, a basketball gym for community use, a playground and landscaped gardens to blend in with the surrounding park.
“The benefit of having this exceptional facility far outweighs any costs,” Jarrett said. “It’s a symbol to the community of how important they are to us.”
Adam Rubin of the Chicago Architecture Center described the project as a success so far, but added that questions remain about whether trading park land for the center is worth it.
“It really has a sense of place,” he said of the museum. “Time will tell how people use it.”