Location
6001 South Stony Island Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637
Client
Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates / The Obama Foundation
Sector
Civic & Institutional
Team
Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Living Habitats, Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, and Interactive Design Architects
site is currently working on the new Obama Presidential Center. Located in historic Jackson Park, the Center is a proposed museum and public gathering campus that celebrates President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. The Center seeks to become a new landmark for the South Side of Chicago through three primary buildings: the Museum, the Forum, and the Library.
Tying the buildings together, a central public plaza acts as a gateway to the grounds and a gathering space for the community, hosting events such as performances, markets, and fairs. The site is designed to activate the park throughout all four seasons, with key public amenities including a children’s play space, community garden, walking paths, outdoor classrooms, a sledding hill, and a gathering lawn. On the northern extent of the site, the existing Women’s Garden will be enhanced with new plantings and stormwater gardens.
Sustainability is at the forefront of the design process, with innovative design strategies including energy efficient building systems, on-site stormwater management, increased biodiversity through native and adapted plantings, vegetated rooftops, and educational components.