The Barack Obama Presidential Center, scheduled to open in June in Chicago, is facing significant backlash over what critics are calling a 'headache-inducing' design feature on its exterior. The controversy centres on text engraved from a speech by President Obama, which has been labelled an 'eye-sore' and difficult to read by architecture experts and social media users alike.
Architectural Criticism and Social Media Uproar
The eight-story museum building, standing 225 feet tall and made of granite, features words from President Obama's 2015 speech marking the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery marches. However, the text is engraved across two sides of the building, creating mismatched run-over lines that viewers find challenging to decipher from certain angles.
Chicago Sun-Times critic Lee Bay ignited the debate by posting on LinkedIn that the quote looks like 'dummy' placeholder text rather than meaningful content. 'I'm outside the Obama Center museum tower right now. The new letters - an excerpt from Obama's Selma speech - are a tough read to me, giving off the lorem ipsum vibes,' Bay wrote.
Public Reaction and Design Defences
Social media responses have been overwhelmingly critical, with many users expressing frustration and discomfort. One person wrote on X, 'I gave up after developing a headache three lines from the top,' while another commented, 'The dyslexic in me is not amused.' Comparisons to a 'Klingon prison' from Star Trek and a 'super max prison' highlighted the perceived harshness of the design.
However, some defenders of the design argue it appears better from specific perspectives. 'I noticed when I was in the air that the sentences wrap around the west and south sides of the building, and looks decent in a very specific spot on the ground or very good from the air,' one observer noted. Others praised the overall project, emphasising the benefits of the 20-acre campus in Jackson Park.
Foundation's Response and Project Details
Despite the criticism, Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Obama Foundation, expressed excitement about the opening in a December interview with CBS News Chicago. She highlighted the centre's role in demonstrating how diversity can 'better represent the community in which we're located and be a national model for how you can be inclusive and have a world-class product.'
Jarrett, who grew up near the project, added that contracting with racially diverse businesses is a priority, stating, 'Because we believe inclusion is actually a strength.' The foundation centre, which includes large art installations like an 83-foot-tall abstract glass work collage by Julie Mehretu, has cost upwards of $850 million to construct.
Looking Ahead to the June Opening
As the opening approaches, the controversy underscores the challenges of blending artistic vision with public accessibility. Jarrett hopes visitors will 'learn about President Obama and the people upon whose shoulders he stands, but also a little bit something about themselves and how they can go and bring change home to their own communities.'
The Daily Mail has contacted the Obama Foundation for further comment on the design criticisms, but the debate continues to swirl around this ambitious presidential library project.
