Locals Push Back as Obama Presidential Center Design Sparks Fresh Outrage

The long-debated Obama Presidential Center is once again at the center of controversy — and this time, critics say the problem is not just cost, location, or symbolism, but basic readability.

The Obama Foundation recently released updated renderings of the massive structure rising in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood. Intended to showcase the final look of the museum tower and surrounding grounds, the new visuals instead reignited criticism over what many describe as a baffling architectural choice: a nearly illegible inscription wrapping around the exterior of the building.

The excerpt comes from a 2015 speech delivered by former President Barack Obama in Selma, Alabama, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the civil rights marches. But according to critics, the execution leaves much to be desired.

“I’m outside the Obama Center museum tower right now. The new letters — an excerpt from Obama’s Selma speech — are tough read to me, giving off the lorem ipsum vibes,” Chicago Sun-Times architecture critic Lee Bay wrote on LinkedIn.

“The words are cut off. The Ts, Ls, and Is are indistinguishable,” former investment banker and best-selling author John LeFevre noted on X, adding that the structure “Looks like a trash can.”

Temple University Professor Jacob Shell echoed those concerns, pointing out that the E’s are also “indistinguishable from F’s,” and that “multiple words get disjointed — not just on one plane but two.”

“Truly, one of the most headache-inducing reading experiences I’ve ever had,” Shell said.

Online critics were even less charitable. Conservative commentator Johnny Maga remarked, “They somehow managed to make the Obama presidential library even uglier. My gosh.”

Social media users wasted little time turning the building into meme material.

One viral meme replaced the inscription with the familiar spam message: “We have been trying to reach you about your car warranty.”

Another mocked Obama-era health care promises, reading: “If you like your plan, keep your plan. If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.”

Beyond aesthetics, residents have voiced longstanding concerns about the project’s size, footprint, and potential strain on traffic and local infrastructure. Some community members have said they hoped the design would more closely reflect the character of South Shore and provide additional usable public space.

The center — years in development and repeatedly delayed — is now slated to open in June. Throughout its planning phases, it has faced scrutiny over land use, environmental impact, and financial implications for taxpayers.

The Obama Foundation insists the project will serve as both a cultural hub and an economic catalyst, promising job creation, tourism revenue, and educational programming.

Still, critics have frequently likened the 225-foot tower to the “Death Star” or even described it as a “concrete tomb.” In response, a foundation official previously pushed back against the darker interpretations.

“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.

Patterson also addressed complaints about the tower’s limited windows.

“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.

Meanwhile, Valerie Jarrett — CEO of the Obama Foundation and a senior adviser during Obama’s presidency — emphasized that the former president remains closely involved.

“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.

Whether the structure ultimately becomes a celebrated landmark or a lasting punchline remains to be seen. What is clear is that for many Chicago residents, the controversy surrounding the Obama Presidential Center is far from over.