Beginning with Herbert Hoover, the 31st President of the United States, a library has been established to house and preserve historical papers, and items from that president’s time in office. Presidential Libraries are maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration and are usually located in the home state of the president.
The Barack Obama Presidential Center will be located in Chicago, Illinois after a selection process that included Hawaii and New York City as potential sites. The Obama Library will reside in Jackson Park on the Chicago’s south side. The site was one of two choices, the other being nearby Washington Park. Both sites are situated next to the University of Chicago, where President Obama taught constitutional law from 1992 to 2004.
Presidential libraries house as much material from the president’s term in office as possible including the president’s papers, recordings, collections, and artwork. Presidential libraries function as centers for study for presidential, political, and historical scholars, and function as museums to the general public. The Obama Presidential Center is expected to be a huge draw for Chicago and the Jackson Park neighborhood and is expected to open in 2020. The architectural firm of record is Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects.
On May 3rd, 2017, Barack Obama met with an invitation-only crowd at the South Shore Cultural Center to present an initial concept for the Presidential Center. Illustrations, 3D renderings, and a scale model.
For more information, visit the Obama Foundation’s page for the Presidential Center.