This thing looks like some sort of grim futuristic Soviet Union shit to me if the USSR had survived into the future:



Residents in the area reportedly describe the building as a "totalitarian command center dropped straight out of 1984."

The “finished” building does look 1984ish. I was looking for who the architect is. I have Grok working on it and will update.

FYI in case anyone is interested. “Optimistic designs?” Really?

The Obama Presidential Center (often referred to as the Obama Presidential Library) was designed by the architectural firm Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects | Partners, led by the husband-and-wife duo Tod Williams and Billie Tsien. They were selected in 2016 to head the design team for the project, located in Chicago’s Jackson Park on the South Side. The firm collaborated with associate architects from Interactive Design Architects (IDEA), a Chicago-based firm led by Dina Griffin, as well as landscape architects Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates. The Center is envisioned as a living campus for civic engagement rather than a traditional presidential library, featuring a museum, forum building, library, and public spaces, with construction ongoing as of 2025. 0 1 3 20
About Tod Williams and Billie Tsien
Tod Williams (born 1943 in Detroit, Michigan) and Billie Tsien (born 1949 in Ithaca, New York) are American architects who have been professional partners since founding their New York City-based firm in 1986 (though they began collaborating in 1977). Their work is known for its thoughtful, materially rich designs that emphasize context, craftsmanship, and human experience, often incorporating natural elements and a sense of permanence. The firm typically handles institutional projects for museums, educational facilities, and nonprofits, with a portfolio of around 50 completed works. They have received numerous accolades, including induction into the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the National Academy, the American Philosophical Society, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Williams and Tsien were married but filed for divorce in 2023; they continue to lead the firm together.
Williams earned his undergraduate degree, MFA, and Master of Architecture from Princeton University (after attending Cranbrook School). He worked for architect Richard Meier for six years before opening his own practice in 1974. He has served as a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome and a trustee of the Cranbrook Educational Community.
Tsien holds a BA in Fine Arts from Yale University and an MArch from UCLA. She has held leadership roles such as President of the Architectural League of New York and Director of the Public Art Fund. In 2009, she was honored with a Visionary Woman Award from Moore College of Art and Design.
Their design philosophy often revolves around “profound optimism,” creating spaces that foster community, reflection, and longevity, while avoiding trends in favor of timelessness. 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 20
Other Notable Buildings They’ve Designed
Williams and Tsien have designed several acclaimed institutional and cultural buildings. Here are some of their most prominent ones:
• American Folk Art Museum (New York City, 2001): A compact, eight-story bronze-clad building in Midtown Manhattan, praised for its innovative use of space and materials but controversially demolished in 2014 to make way for MoMA’s expansion. 16 20
• Barnes Foundation (Philadelphia, 2012): A museum relocation project that recreated the original gallery layout while adding modern spaces, blending art display with landscape integration on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. 20
• David Geffen Hall (New York City, renovation completed 2022): A major overhaul of the Lincoln Center’s Philharmonic Hall, focusing on improved acoustics, accessibility, and public spaces to enhance the concert experience. 15 18 20
• LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park (Brooklyn, New York, 2013): A year-round recreational facility with ice rinks, event spaces, and green roofs, restoring part of the historic park while providing community amenities. 20
• Skirkanich Hall (University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 2006): A bioengineering building featuring a distinctive copper facade and labs designed to promote interdisciplinary collaboration. 20
• Neurosciences Institute (La Jolla, California, 1995): An early project for The Scripps Research Institute, emphasizing serene, light-filled spaces to support scientific research. 20
• U.S. Embassy in Mexico City (ongoing as of 2025): A new diplomatic compound designed with sustainability and cultural sensitivity in mind. 18
Their portfolio also includes smaller-scale works like university dormitories (e.g., at Princeton) and private residences, but they are best known for these public and cultural institutions. 12 20

Looks like some dystopian maximum security prison.

quote:

Originally posted by Tuckerrnr1:
Looks like some dystopian maximum security prison.

Good. Maybe he'll go inside it one day and then forget how to open the doors.

I think it captures the vision Obama had for America perfectly...oh the irony.

We in the Midwest call that a grain elevator.

Needs a minaret on top.

quote:

Originally posted by RichardC:
Needs a minaret on top.

A half moon on the front door.

Wife thought it was a building in North Korea.

quote:

Originally posted by Tuckerrnr1:
Looks like some dystopian maximum security prison.

Azkaban.

"Tower of Doom" kind of describes his entire administration.

Brutalist architecture?

That building looks like one of the soviet towers we saw about 2-3 hours outside of Kandahar.
( I couldn't take a picture because I was driving)

I mean it is almost an exact replica except it had a hole in the upper part of one side.

quote:

Originally posted by Orguss:
Brutalist architecture?

How apropos.

quote:

Originally posted by Sig2340:

A half moon on the front door.

Yes, the commie palace looks like this design-

Obama did proudly proclaim that his library would be built with DEI initiatives and diverse contractors in mind (mostly black contractors). Now his foundation is running out of funds. Costs have ballooned due to terrible planning as well as lawsuits over "racial discrimination". Black companies argue that they have been subjected to unfair scrutiny in their building methods, while the New York engineering firm in charge of the library argues that the builders exhibit low experience and poor performance.

https://www.zerohedge.com/poli...ary-looks-tower-doom

It looks like a piece of shit designed by a school of architecture dropout

Except for the windows, it could be Armageddon proof. All of humanity wiped out, except his library.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
This thing looks like some sort of grim futuristic Soviet Union shit to me if the USSR had survived into the future:...

Ironical. I thought of this before I read the article linked below in your post.

Looks like a piece of shit. Appropriate for the putz it is named for.