The odd design of former President Barack Obama’s new presidential center is supposed to evoke unity and not Darth Vader, according to an Obama Foundation official, who explained the bizarre look of the austere building.
The $830 million monolith — slated to open in Chicago next year — has drawn comparisons to the “Death Star” on social media, and some locals have described it as a “concrete tomb” and a “monstrosity.”
“The shape of the building was actually meant to mimic four hands coming together to show the importance of our collective action,” Obama Foundation Deputy Director Kim Patterson told CBS Chicago.
The 225-foot tower’s windows are few and far between, which Patterson noted was also purposeful.
“There are not a lot of windows on the building, but that’s intentional because sunlight is just not a friend to the artwork and the artifacts that are going inside of the building,” she said.
Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett, who served as a senior adviser during the former president’s two terms in the White House, noted that Obama has been very involved in the design of his library.
“I wish that people could be a fly on the wall to see how many times in the course of the day that I hear from President Obama about ideas for the center, tweaks, programming, what we can do for the design,” Jarrett said.
“I sent him the menu for the restaurants,” she added. “He cares about what food we’re offering. Is it affordable? Is it tasty? Will children want it?”
Jarrett touted the foundation’s efforts to contract with racially diverse businesses throughout the process.
“Because we believe inclusion is actually a strength,” she said.
Rather than housing physical copies of Obama’s presidential records, the library will contain digital files because Obama was “the first president to digitize all of his papers from the White House,” according to Jarrett.
“This is a real advantage for those who are interested in doing research, whether you’re a school student, or whether you’re a PhD or a world expert,” she argued.
Obama’s sprawling 20-acre presidential center is expected to open next June in Jackson Park, on the South Side of Chicago.
The former president has said visitors can expect to see his wife Michelle’s dresses on display, and the facility will also have “an audio and recording studio so we can bring kids in to give exposure and training to tell their stories.”
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