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. Elevate Design Builders, a joint firm led by Bowa Construction and AECOM Hunt, is the builder.
The Home Court features a regulation-size NBA basketball court with intersecting practice courts, flexible seating, fitness equipment, and training spaces. A mezzanine level provides additional seating for an intimate spectator experience. Home Court also offers multipurpose spaces for community activities.
The Home Court’s design is inspired by two of President Obama’s passions: basketball and community building. The sleek metal and glass panel exterior has been patterned to evoke a basketball net and community connection. The expansive, east-facing glass façade—fritted to protect birds by keeping them from striking it—will offer views of the campus.
“From the outset, President Obama knew he wanted our Home Court to be a place where people could come for fun, inspiration, and learning—the kind of community spaces we need in an inclusive democracy,” Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett said in a statement. “We intend for it to be an extraordinary resource to our community that will allow families to improve their health and wellness, and participate in educational and career readiness programming all in hopes of building a brighter, healthier future.”
The design aligns with the Obama Foundation’s sustainability goals for the campus. The two-story lobby will provide natural light for many of the building’s interior spaces. Like the rest of the campus, the Home Court will be heated and cooled mostly with geothermal energy, part of the campus-wide strategy to avoid using fossil fuels.
Related Stories
Giants 400 | Dec 16, 2020
Download a PDF of all 2020 Giants 400 Rankings
This 70-page PDF features AEC firm rankings across 51 building sectors, disciplines, and specialty services.
Giants 400 | Dec 3, 2020
2020 Cultural Facilities Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. cultural facilities sector
AECOM, Arup, and Populous head BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest cultural facilities sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2020 Giants 400 Report.
Government Buildings | Nov 13, 2020
Tax shortfalls nip government projects in the bud
Federal contracts are proceeding, but states and cities are delaying, deferring, and looking for private investment.
Cultural Facilities | Oct 13, 2020
Thailand’s Elephant Museum reinforces the bond between humans and beasts
The complex, in Surin Province, was built with 480,000 clay bricks.
Libraries | Sep 25, 2020
Major renovation to Providence’s downtown library is completed
The $29 million project adds light and collaborative space to a 67-year-old wing.
Cultural Facilities | Sep 24, 2020
America's 11 most endangered historic places - 2020 list
Annually, this list spotlights important examples of our nation’s architectural and cultural heritage that, without applied action and immediate advocacy, will be destroyed or face irreparable damage.
Giants 400 | Aug 28, 2020
2020 Giants 400 Report: Ranking the nation's largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms
The 2020 Giants 400 Report features more than 130 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
Cultural Facilities | Jun 19, 2020
A new ULI report chronicles the depaving of America
Fifteen examples of how parks and green spaces emerged from parking lots, garages, and underpasses.
Libraries | Jan 23, 2020
Information or community center: The next generation of libraries must be both
Are libraries still relevant in a digital world?
Cultural Facilities | Dec 4, 2019
Snøhetta wins competition to design maritime center in Esbjerg, Denmark
The project’s design was developed with WERK Arkitekter.