In a world where billion-dollar projects are as common as political secrets, the Obama Presidential Center could very well be the next star of an architecture blooper reel. Residents in Chicago’s Hyde Park are giving reviews that sound like stand-up comedy—comparing its look to everything from a jail to a colossal rock. The question on everyone’s mind: Is it a presidential library or an art installation gone rogue?
The Obama Center may be struggling with its overdue and over-budget status, but to its credit, it’s achieving one thing: creating a new landmark of political irony. The concrete fortress overshadows its intended message of hope and community engagement with its rather penitentiary-like silhouette and ongoing controversies. It’s almost as if the building itself is in protest of the man it memorializes.
In stark contrast, the Trump camp is promising the architectural opposite for their own shrine to the former president. They aim to deliver nothing less than a grand spectacle—a library of unimaginable splendor to honor the all-time “greatest” president. The plans remain a closely guarded secret, but knowing the Trump brand, it’s safe to bet that expectations include gold accents and perhaps a mock-up of a border wall for fun.
What’s really grabbing the headlines, though, isn’t just architectural eccentricities or secret presidential duties. It’s Trump Jr.’s playful jab at the idea of a “Fake News” exhibit in the Trump library, showcasing media blunders and biased reporting. It’s an idea that’s part reality and part satire, possibly serving both as a monument to media skepticism and a dig at his critics.
In the unpredictable world of politics, days may come and go, success may rise and fall, but a good jab at the other side is forever. Whether it’s a building that won’t quit being compared to a jail or a library mocking the press, it seems that both sides are destined to etch their legacies—and their feuds—into the walls of time. As Chicago endures its share of concrete controversies, one can’t help but chuckle at the spectacle of politics meeting architecture in such a uniquely American way.
