Recent updates to the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago have sparked criticism following the release of new design renderings and details about the project. The Obama Foundation unveiled revised visuals this week showing how the center and its surrounding spaces are expected to look when construction is complete. While the center itself has long attracted attention for its modern and unconventional design, the latest controversy centers on a newly added inscription. The text, an excerpt from former President Barack Obama’s 2015 speech in Selma, Alabama, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the historic civil rights marches, has proven difficult for many to read. Critics say the way the letters are arranged and wrapped around the building makes the text almost illegible.
“I’m outside the Obama Center museum tower right now. The new letters—an excerpt from Obama’s Selma speech—are tough to read, giving off the lorem ipsum vibes,” Chicago Sun-Times architecture critic Lee Bay wrote on LinkedIn, referencing the placeholder text often used in graphic design.
Former investment banker and best-selling author John LeFevre expressed similar frustrations on X, writing, “The words are cut off. The Ts, Ls, and Is are indistinguishable. Looks like a trash can.”
Temple University Professor Jacob Shell also commented on the design, pointing out that some letters, like E and F, appear nearly identical, and that several words are disjointed across multiple planes. “Truly, one of the most headache-inducing reading experiences I’ve ever had,” Shell said. Conservative influencer Johnny Maga was blunt, stating, “They somehow managed to make the Obama presidential library even uglier. My gosh.”
The criticism comes as Chicago residents near the center’s location in Woodlawn are facing housing pressures. At Chaney Braggs Apartments on 65th Street and Stony Island Avenue, nearly two dozen tenants recently announced the formation of a union. According to the group, a potential buyer intends to either renovate or demolish the building, either scenario likely leading to higher rents and possible displacement.
Several organizations joined the tenants on Thursday morning to advocate for maintaining the affordability of these apartments. Residents voiced concerns about being forced out of their homes and losing the community they have lived in for years.
“I want to stay right where I’m at. I don’t want to be forced out. I want to be able to let my daughter grow up in the same building I grew up in,” said tenant Kyana Butler, highlighting the personal stakes for families affected by rising housing costs in the neighborhood.
Despite the backlash over both design and housing concerns, Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Obama Foundation and a senior adviser during President Obama’s two terms, emphasized the former president’s active role in shaping the library. “I wish 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, and what we can do for the design,” Jarrett said.
The Obama Presidential Center, still under development, continues to be a focal point for debate over architectural choices and the broader impact of large-scale projects on local communities. While supporters praise its ambition and significance as a cultural and educational institution, critics argue that readability issues, aesthetic concerns, and neighborhood displacement cast a shadow over the center’s future. As construction moves forward, these discussions are likely to remain part of the public conversation surrounding one of Chicago’s most high-profile development projects.
