flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

Seven finalists named in Barack Obama Presidential Center design search

Cultural Facilities

Seven finalists named in Barack Obama Presidential Center design search

ShoP Architects, Renzo Piano Building Workshop, and Adjaye Associates are among the remaining firms that will propose designs for the $500 million archive, library, and museum.


By Mike Chamernik, Associate Editor | December 21, 2015
Seven finalists named in Barack Obama Presidential Center design search

A view of the Chicago skyline from Washington Park, one of the proposed sites of the Barack Obama Presidential Center. Photo: Connie Ma/Creative Commons

The Obama Foundation named seven finalists to design the Barack Obama Presidential Center, on the South Side of Chicago.

The Chicago Tribune reports that the firms are New York City-based firms Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, ShoP Architects, and Snohetta; London’s Adjaye Associates; Genoa, Italy’s Renzo Piano Building Workshop; and Chicago’s John Ronan Architects.

The accomplished group of finalists were chosen from a field of 140 architects from 25 countries. Each remaining firm will make proposals to the Obamas during the first quarter of 2016, and the Obamas will pick a winner by the middle of next year. 

The project, which will include a presidential archive, library, and museum, is expected to cost at least $500 million. The center will be located in either Jackson Park or Washington Park. 

Construction won’t begin until 2017, and the center will not be completed until 2020 or 2021.

Related Stories

Giants 400 | Aug 30, 2021

2021 Giants 400 Report: Ranking the largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S.

The 2021 Giants 400 Report includes more than 130 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.

Resiliency | Aug 19, 2021

White paper outlines cost-effective flood protection approaches for building owners

A new white paper from Walter P Moore offers an in-depth review of the flood protection process and proven approaches.

Cultural Facilities | Aug 2, 2021

A new venue for the San Diego Symphony’s outdoor performances opens this week

Rady Shell at Jacobs Park was funded almost entirely by private donors.

Resiliency | Jun 24, 2021

Oceanographer John Englander talks resiliency and buildings [new on HorizonTV]

New on HorizonTV, oceanographer John Englander discusses his latest book, which warns that, regardless of resilience efforts, sea levels will rise by meters in the coming decades. Adaptation, he says, is the key to future building design and construction.

Multifamily Housing | Jun 3, 2021

Student Housing Trends 2021-2022

In this exclusive video interview for HorizonTV, Fred Pierce, CEO of Pierce Education Properties, developer and manager of off-campus student residences, chats with Rob Cassidy, Editor, MULTIFAMILY Design + Construction about student housing during the pandemic and what to expect for on-campus and off-campus housing in Fall 2021 and into 2022.

Digital Twin | May 24, 2021

Digital twin’s value propositions for the built environment, explained

Ernst & Young’s white paper makes its cases for the technology’s myriad benefits.

Wood | May 14, 2021

What's next for mass timber design?

An architect who has worked on some of the nation's largest and most significant mass timber construction projects shares his thoughts on the latest design trends and innovations in mass timber.

Cultural Facilities | Apr 1, 2021

A Connecticut firm deploys design to assist underserved people and communities

Hartford, Conn.-based JCJ Architecture traces its roots to 1936, when the U.S. was just coming out of an economic depression and its unemployment rate was still 14%. In 2021, with the country trying to recover economically from the impact of the coronavirus, and with questions about social inequity entering the public debate as rarely before, JCJ has focused its design work on projects and clients that are committed to social responsibility and advocacy, particularly for underserved or marginalized communities.

Cultural Facilities | Mar 1, 2021

Moise Safra Center completes in New York City

The project will act as a second home for the Jewish community it serves.

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category

Cultural Facilities

Multipurpose sports facility will be first completed building at Obama Presidential Center

When it opens in late 2025, the Home Court will be the first completed space on the Obama Presidential Center campus in Chicago. Located on the southwest corner of the 19.3-acre Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park, the Home Court will be the largest gathering space on the campus. Renderings recently have been released of the 45,000-sf multipurpose sports facility and events space designed by Moody Nolan.




halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021