u/SaltyHelicopter793

Got my first tattoo mostly done yesterday. Will be going back to the shop on the 14th to get the rest of it done. But I wanted to ask yall how do you think it came out so far?

For those that are curious of the meaning behind my tattoo: I got this piece to symbolize resilience and getting through hard times. Prometheus’ story is basically about enduring punishment and suffering while continuing to push forward anyway, and the Greek lettering references Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise.” I wanted the whole piece to represent strength, survival, and continuing to rise no matter what.

A lot of people assume the Obama Presidential Center is just a traditional presidential library, but the campus is much larger and more interactive than that.

The Center includes:
- the main museum tower with immersive exhibits about Obama’s presidency, community organizing, elections, and major historical moments

- the Sky Room at the top of the tower overlooking Chicago and Lake Michigan

- public gardens and walking spaces throughout Jackson Park

- community/event spaces

- athletic and recreation areas

- a branch of the Chicago Public Library

- recording, media, and civic engagement spaces designed for students and community programs

The project was designed to function more like a civic campus and public gathering space than a traditional archive-focused presidential library.

Posting a few walkthrough videos showing
parts of the museum, campus, and interior spaces:
Obama Presidential Center official trailer (YouTube)

Inside look at the Obama Presidential Center design (YouTube)

Obama Presidential Center construction + interior previews (YouTube)

Official site:
Obama Presidential Center official website

July museum tickets for the Obama Presidential Center are already sold out. August dates are starting to sell out too, including August 1–5, 7–9, 11, 15, 18, 22, and 25.

Ford City Mall might actually be nearing the end.

According to the city, there are serious safety concerns involving flooding, electrical issues, failing fire suppression systems, water leaks, and even possible structural/sinkhole concerns. Officials reportedly called parts of the property an “imminent health and safety risk.”

What’s crazy is that from the outside, the mall still looks pretty normal. But inside, it sounds like years of deferred maintenance finally caught up with it.

Honestly sad to see. Feels like another piece of classic Chicago mall culture disappearing.

Do you think the mall can realistically be saved, or is redevelopment/demolition basically inevitable at this point?

Before construction even began, the Obama Presidential Center faced years of lawsuits, preservation battles, and community debate over building inside historic Jackson Park.
Supporters argued it would bring jobs, tourism, investment, and long-term attention to Chicago’s South Side. Critics worried about displacement, rising housing costs, traffic, and losing public park space.

I’m also linking a few videos showing local residents, community leaders, and news coverage discussing both excitement and concerns about how the project could impact nearby neighborhoods.

Community discussion videos:
Obama Center community concerns + economic impact (YouTube)

Chicago residents discussing displacement concerns (YouTube)

Obama Foundation announcing Jackson Park selection (YouTube)

Official site:
Obama Presidential Center official website

The architects behind the Obama Presidential Center said the tower’s shape was designed to symbolize “four hands coming together,” representing collective effort and civic participation.

The massive text wrapping around the upper façade comes from Obama’s 2015 Selma speech. The architects apparently designed the lettering more like a carved architectural texture integrated into the building itself rather than normal signage, which is why it can look fragmented or difficult to read from certain angles.

The quote reads:
“You are America. Unconstrained by habit and convention. Unencumbered by what is, ready to seize what ought to be. For everywhere in this country, there are first steps to be taken, there is new ground to cover, there are more bridges to be crossed.
America is not the project of any one person. The single most powerful word in our democracy is the word ‘We.’ ‘We The People.’ ‘We Shall Overcome.’ ‘Yes We Can.’ That word is owned by no one. It belongs to everyone.
Oh, what a glorious task we are given to continually try to improve this great nation of ours.”
– President Obama, 2015

More about the exterior design:
Obama Foundation exterior design page

Architect project page:
Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects – Obama Presidential Center

For more information and photos about the Obama Presidential Center check out:
r/ObamaCenterChicago

The architects behind the Obama Presidential Center said the tower’s shape was designed to symbolize “four hands coming together,” representing collective effort and civic participation.

The massive text wrapping around the upper façade comes from Obama’s 2015 Selma speech. The architects apparently designed the lettering more like a carved architectural texture integrated into the building itself rather than normal signage, which is why it can look fragmented or difficult to read from certain angles.

The quote reads:
“You are America. Unconstrained by habit and convention. Unencumbered by what is, ready to seize what ought to be. For everywhere in this country, there are first steps to be taken, there is new ground to cover, there are more bridges to be crossed.
America is not the project of any one person. The single most powerful word in our democracy is the word ‘We.’ ‘We The People.’ ‘We Shall Overcome.’ ‘Yes We Can.’ That word is owned by no one. It belongs to everyone.
Oh, what a glorious task we are given to continually try to improve this great nation of ours.”
– President Obama, 2015

More about the exterior design:
Obama Foundation exterior design page

Architect project page:
Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects – Obama Presidential Center

Designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects with Interactive Design Architects as the local Chicago partner, the Obama Presidential Center went through several major design refinements between its earliest public concepts and the final version now nearing completion in Jackson Park.
I put these images in chronological order because it’s interesting seeing how the project’s massing, façade language, landscape integration, and civic space evolved over time.

- Early Concept Model (2016–2017)
The first image shows one of the earliest public concept models after the design team was selected in 2016.
At this stage, the museum tower appears much more monolithic and simplified geometrically. The building massing is heavier overall, with fewer façade details and a more abstract sculptural appearance. The landscape plan was already a major part of the concept, emphasizing a campus integrated into Jackson Park instead of a traditional isolated presidential library complex.
This early phase focused more on symbolic monumentality and overall site organization than material detailing or façade refinement.

- Revised Design / Mid-Development Phase (2017–2019)
The second image shows the project after several rounds of public review, planning revisions, and technical development.
By this stage, the tower proportions became more refined vertically, and the façade system started evolving into the carved geometric pattern language that later became one of the defining visual features of the project.
The surrounding civic spaces also became more integrated into the architectural composition, with stronger pedestrian emphasis, expanded green roof systems, and more visually connected public plazas.
Compared to the earliest model, the project here feels less like a singular object in the landscape and more like an interconnected civic campus.

- Final Vision / Near-Final Rendering (2020–2021)
The final rendering shows the project much closer to the version now under construction.
The tower appears taller, more vertically dramatic, and significantly more refined in terms of façade articulation and materiality. The carved upper façade sections became more detailed and visually expressive, helping break up the large stone-like massing established in the earlier concepts.
The landscape design also became more immersive and publicly oriented, emphasizing circulation, gathering spaces, gardens, and long pedestrian sightlines through Jackson Park.
Construction officially began in 2021, and the final design reflects years of revisions balancing monumentality, civic accessibility, symbolism, engineering constraints, and public feedback