Comment | The Obama Presidential Center aims high, like a Gothic cathedral
The building’s epic art commissions play a big role, compelling visitors upwards
Since opening in June, the Obama Presidential Center on Chicago's South Side has become a beacon for thousands of Americans seeking solace from the current administration's corruption and erosion of democratic values. The monthly ticket sales have sold out quickly, and visitors line up daily to explore the café open to the public. However, the building's centerpiece, the 19-acre campus's towering, beacon-like structure known as the "Obamalisk," has received mixed reviews.
Designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, the structure's influence is drawn from the sculptures of Obama's favorite artist, Brancusi. Critics have compared it to a monolith from the TV show Ancient Aliens, a sci-fi villain's headquarters, and a mausoleum. Despite these comparisons, the experience inside the space is uplifting and soaring, functioning like a modern-day Gothic cathedral.
The integration of large-scale art into the lofty architecture draws attention upward towards a higher goal or spirit. Julie Mehretu's stained-glass windows, reaching 83ft, feature mark-making on glass panels in a confetti-like explosion that colors the view of the city to the north. Mark Bradford's City of the Big Shoulders represents Lake Michigan with rich turquoise and cyan shades, while Marie Watt's collaboration with Nick Cave merges symbols from their cultural histories, creating a glorious tapestry of jingles and beaded nets.
Visitors are encouraged to move from the bottom of the museum building to the top, chronologically exploring exhibits on women's suffrage, the Civil Rights Era, and Obama's presidency. The large and detailed works create a durational experience, requiring visitors to move around to fully appreciate them. Upon reaching the eighth floor, the Sky Room offers expansive city views from wrap-around windows and a vaulted ceiling, with Idris Khan's Sky of Hope hand-stamping Obama's 2015 "You are America" speech in blue paint, creating a blue, fluid language that appears to be a collective consciousness birthing thought.
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