Try not to get too excited, but the Obama Presidential Center will open next year in Chicago.
When the Obama Presidential Center opens next year, it will be a hub for change — a place for people from all over the world to come together, get inspired, and take what they learn back to their own communities. https://t.co/gW6UCYBCAJ pic.twitter.com/U92thHbAUL
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) October 18, 2025
Obama says his Presidential Center is his way of giving back to Chicago… 👀
— David J Harris Jr (@DavidJHarrisJr) December 10, 2025
“Chicago is where Michelle was raised, where I got my start as an organizer, and where we built a family together. When the Obama Presidential Center opens next June, it will be our way to give back to… pic.twitter.com/TBe7zjxABN
I gave my first thoughts on it back in October:
It looks like a prison in a dystopian movie. https://t.co/fp28SHZjeJ
— Doug Powers (@ThePowersThatBe) October 18, 2025
The architect was Frank Lloyd Wrong.
Considering how the bullets are often flying around Chicago I can't really blame them for not having a lot of windows. Fittingly enough, it looks like a Colonial Revival style home if it was designed solely by bureaucrats and community organizers.
This is the Obama Presidential Library.
— Cynical Publius (@CynicalPublius) July 25, 2025
It looks like a house the villain would live in, in a Roald Dahl children's novel. pic.twitter.com/RNEtlDgoLN
It's got a bit of a dumpster vibe to it as well.
The Obama Center has also been likened to a North Korean guard tower:
One of these is the Obama Library and the other is a North Korean guard tower. pic.twitter.com/ealD53Fpgl
— Scott Adams (@ScottAdamsSays) October 19, 2025
The mockery was getting piled on so thick that somebody decided that the peasants who don't understand the brilliance of the design needed to be informed about the artistic nature of the design:
After months of widespread mockery, the Obama Presidential Center has issued a response to explain the building design:
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) December 26, 2025
“The shape of the building was meant to mimic four hands coming together to show the importance of our collective action."
Welp. Glad they cleared that up. pic.twitter.com/iONSDy3Ugy
The old saying "if you're explaining, you're losing" comes to mind here:
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.
Yeah, and the Affordable Care Act was "actually meant to" save us a lot of money on health care and insurance. Some things just don't pan out that way.
