A new high-rise built in honour of former United States President Barack Obama is preparing to welcome its first visitors. According to Sky News, the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago is set to open to the public in just a couple of weeks, marking the end of a long and closely watched development process for the project.
According to Sky News, the centre has been a major undertaking. It took a decade to develop and five years to build, and it carried a cost of around 850 million dollars. The scale and ambition of the project have made it one of the most talked-about additions to the city, both for its purpose and for its striking appearance.
According to Sky News, the building has already divided opinion. A lot of people have said they do not like it, with some going as far as to liken it to a Star Trek prison. Yet, as the report noted, Obama is far from the first former leader to put his name to a somewhat audacious piece of architecture.
According to Sky News, previous presidential libraries have each carried their own distinctive design ideas. Bill Clinton's library in Little Rock, Arkansas, was apparently inspired by his desire to build a bridge to the 21st century, while Jimmy Carter's in Atlanta, Georgia, is made up of a series of interconnected circles meant to symbolise his worldview of unity.
According to Sky News, Ronald Reagan took a more traditional route with his centre, which is currently the largest presidential centre by square feet. Against that backdrop, the Obama project has sought to make its own statement, choosing features and a design intended to set it apart from those that came before it.
According to Sky News, while many presidential institutions feature a replica of the presidential limousine or Air Force One, Obama chose the Oval Office. The report explained that the White House was designed to be the people's house, and that the replica is intended to let people sit behind the president's desk and read the letter that President Bush gave to Obama before he took office. Michelle Obama's iconic dresses from both terms are also on display, alongside memorabilia from both terms and the campaigns.
According to Sky News, the exterior of the building is designed in the shape of four hands coming together. The aim, as described in the report, is to encourage people to reflect on the power of the collective and on the idea of people coming together to bring about change, a theme that runs through the centre as it prepares to open its doors.