The

Must-See

Artworks

Inside

the

Obama

Presidential

Center

With the Obama Presidential Center set to open to the public on June 19, curiosity is mounting about what visitors will encounter inside and around the center’s towering main building, designed by architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien. Already, the structure has earned a nickname: The Obamalisk.

Located within a 19.3-acre park on Chicago’s South Side, the campus includes a branch of the Chicago Public library—a slight deviation from presidential tradition—along with a fruit and vegetable garden, basketball gym, auditorium, restaurant and 30 barbecue grills. The centerpiece is the soaring museum building, whose four floors of exhibits chronicle the life and career of the two-term president.