The Obama Foundation has selected Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects | Partners (TWBTA) to lead the design team for the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, and Interactive Design Architects (IDEA) to be their partner as they begin this exciting project. TWBTA stood out in their commitment to explore the best ways of creating an innovative center for action that inspires communities and individuals to take on our biggest challenges. — Barack Obama Foundation
The husband and wife team of Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects (TWBTA) first started their practice back in 1986, with Paul Schulhof becoming the firm's third partner in 2013. The thirty person team is headquartered in New York.
"We believe that architecture is the coming together of art and use, and can bring a sense of grace to life," the architects state in the announcement. "The greatest buildings are places, which contribute to more than their particular task by elevating and improving the world.
"We are deeply moved by the mission of the Obama Foundation and the role the Center can play in empowering that mission. It is a joy, an honor, and a responsibility to create a place that reflects the optimism and integrity of the President and the First Lady."
TWBTA have designed a number of notable and highly-praised institutional projects in the past, including the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, the Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago, and the Center for the Advancement of Public Action at Bennington College in Vermont.
Interactive Design Architects (IDEA) will team up with TWBTA for the project. Based in Chicago, IDEA will lend their local knowledge, as well as expertise in institutional design. In the past, IDEA served as architects of record for Renzo Piano's addition to the Art Institute of Chicago and designed the Eckhardt Center FF&E at the University of Chicago, among other notable projects. IDEA was founded by architect Charles G. Young.
"To build positive, lasting relationships, we know that we must begin with understanding," IDEA states. "Years of experience and hundreds of projects have confirmed that the path to success hinges not only on the design process, but on thoughtful listening and patient attention to the demands and nuances of a community and their culture.
"For us, collaboration is an opportunity: to create, to learn, to interact with other thought leaders in our profession."
44 Comments
YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY!!!!!!
President Obama continues to impress me with the quality of his decisions.
Smart
Thanks Obama.
wow that's great.
An excellent choice! By choosing them, the project leaps over the politics of Starchitecture.
Good choice.
Who would trump pick?
jla-x trump would definitely pick this asshole - pappageorge haymes
This is an excellent choice - excited to see the building!
^hmm which architect best fits Trumps ethos of simplistic hubris, questionable taste, braggadocio? Hmmm who could it be... Let me think....
Somebody should p-shop a Crying Jordan on the (DS+R) Berkeley Art Museum Television
LiMX, they'd probably have to ask an intern to do that for them.
archanonymous, why the hate? Sure, there's a lot of corporate blandness there, but some of it is not so bad. This one for instance:
http://www.pappageorgehaymes.com/projects/basecamp-river-north
I'm very confident Trump could do worse than that.
John Ronan Architects would have been a good win for the concept of local architecture, and based on the previous work I bet they would have delivered a good project. That said, excited to see what TWBTA does here.
Somebody should p-shop a Crying Jordan on the (DS+R) Berkeley Art Museum Television
That place is a real piece of work and right in my backyard - deflected roof cladding - looks like some airstream trailer got re- ended
Why does Tod Williams look so damn pissed off?
His face got stuck like this after learning of DS+R's design for the Folk Art Museum.
it's a great choice from the short list. secretly, i was also hoping john ronan would win - it would be great to see a relative 'unknown' get a star making turn. love his poetry foundation.
Obama might be the most sophisticated contemporary president on architecture.
Have a look at these.
They look thrilled.
That Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center is great!
I wondered about that second TWBTA building above; here's a story about the marble exteriors at the Center for the Advancement of Public Action at Bennington . . .
http://www.walkerzanger.com/library/images/media/pdf/Building%20Stone%20Magazine%20Spring%202012.pdf
A prestigious commission for sure, and a smart choice on part of the Obamas. Williams and Tsien combine purity of form and concept with material warmth. Their buildings are invariably elegant too. It goes to Americans, and she's Asian-American, and they're a couple. Symetry and diversity all around. Great news! (And I just knew it wasn't going to be Patrik Schumacher.)
It's not really his style, but I'd like to see the Trump library be done by Mark Foster Gage. Just because it would be entertaining.
But seriously, great choice by Obama. Should be a great building, and the architecture community is happy.
The notion of a "Trump library" is odious to me, and I see no reason why this consideration should be a source of levity right now. Barnum & Bailey could do a good job with the convention in Cleveland, however, replete with elephants and clowns
ummm...trump did have an architect Costas Kondylis....google his name, documentary, treasures of new york
When it comes to buildings and how to put them together, Trump probably knows much more than all the recent presidents combined. A portrait of him in his office reveals that he works with blueprints every day.
I am not talking about whether or not those buildings are important architecturally, but he has financed, built and sold a lot of large scale buildings, commercial and residential, all the way to Istanbul. Probably he has numerous projects he is developing as we speak.
And yes, he is a reactionary powerhouse and I hope he doesn't become the president of this country. I'll vote against him.
Orhan, Not sure what your point is here. I mean, what does Trump as real estate developer have to do with Trump as politician, and, what does Trump as builder have to do with Trump as architectural client? Sure, his tower on 5th Avenue by Der Scutt is a rare execption, and then there's the redo of the Gulf + Western building by Philip Johnson, at Columbus Circle, which is not quite as bad as neighborhood residents feared (the ones who said to Herbert Muschamp "Why didn't you warn us?"). But Trump's dry as dust meet the pavement apartment towers on the far West Side are a manifest denial of urban grace, and we're left wondering what his attitude toward architecture and urbanism really is. No, there's no defense for Trump, the gilded prince, as architectural patron, and any attempt at such would have to be so qualified, that it would not come off as anything remotely convincing
amazing, i always pull for TWBTA because they're consistently excellent and unrecognized. thank god he didn't pick BIG, or DS+R...
There were some pretty good options in the shortlist.
-what does Trump as real estate developer have to do with Trump as politician, and, what does Trump as builder have to do with Trump as architectural client?
-A lot.
-what does Trump as real estate developer have to do with Trump as politician, and, what does Trump as builder have to do with Trump as architectural client?
-A lot.
if anyone could understand what this means we could.
and Tod Williams angry stare reminds this is about them...
Orhan, I agree that Trump the real estate developer, Trump the politifcian, Trump the builder, and Trump the architectural client are all indeed the same person, the same the Donald, Trump. However I cannot buy-in to the notion that Trump, in these various guises is equally competent and equally credible. Trump the real estate developer has considerable credibility, while Trump the politician is essentially a rank amateur who makes serious mistakes every other day. Trump the builder is credible too, of course, but I'm not aware of Trump as a highly creative architectural client and patron (perhaps he doesn't want to upstaged by architects). One of the better op-ed screeds against Trump the politician is penned by Henry Paulson (former Sec of Treasury, and a nominal Republican). Hank Paulson is eloquent and smart. Among other things, Paulson questions the judgment of Trump the buisnessman (yet another iteration of Trump). Paulson says:
."He [Trump]: excels at scorched-earth tactics in negotiations during bankruptcy proceedings. Here, the Art of the Deal businessman is a master at advantaging himself over his fellow stakeholders and partners. In essence, he takes imprudent risks and, when his businesses fail, disavows his debts"
Its his resting bitch face. Don't judge. :P
Well deserved. We need more of TW+BT
Thanks for the link SDR. I was familiar with the general background of the Bennington College stone, but this filled in a lot of gaps. The 'damaged' stone is awesome - love the comment from Williams about just needing 'sound' stone, not superficially perfect stone. Ningbo History Museum-quality material scrounging, could be the mindset for a lot of rainscreen materials...
I think what Orhan is trying to say is that Trump has put more thought and energy into built structures in his career than has any other presidential candidate, ever. Note: it's not nuanced or informed or intelligent thought and energy. He's figured out how to funnel capital to himself via construction of buildings, is all.
Ask any presidential candidate of the last four decades how built structures reflect and form our society, however, and ANY one of them would give a more nuanced, informed, and intelligent answer than would Trump. To Trump, big building = feverish need to compensate for tiny hands, end of story.
It's interesting how many see this choice as something to do with Obama's aesthetic. Maybe they would be less sanguine if they saw the kinds of houses the Obama's actually chose to live in.
Hi Donna, For all his sins, I think I'll stick with Thomas Jefferson over Donald Trump, as builder. It could be nice to see a builder as president in our day, but I hope the US will take a pass on the Donald
After the WTC project - WTC -1 was awarded to Skidmore, Trump said of Libeskind "Never let an egghead design a building"
Carter was at least a little bit of a builder. Let's not forget him.
What about Roosevelt and the whole public works campaign?
trump wouldn't build a library, he's got all the words he needs - or he would if it could be fake gold and make him some money.
Obama might be the most sophisticated contemporary president on architecture.
Oh so sophisticated ...
I second Donna's YAYs
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.