The events held at The Forum comprise some of the most important and noble activities to occur at the future Barack Obama Presidential Center. Why, then, is this feature nearly buried in the current plans, invisible to the general public, its messages wholly siloed within its walls?

The next Barack Obama may very well already be at play in Washington Park.  It is our duty to make available to him the vast opportunities for enrichment and growth featured regularly at the Obama Presidential Center.  Reorienting the Forum into the public sphere is a key strategy for this critical outreach.

To provide better visibility, and to increase the reach of the important programming, Twin Embraces situates the Forum proper in a central role.  Housed inside a dramatic, structurally glazed dome, it becomes the focal point of the Park Embrace.  The rostrum itself is configured to be used with either indoor or outdoor configurations, with retractable screens and curtains that disappear below the stage.  In this manner, the Foundation and its guests can determine the best setting for a particular event – entirely private, in a theatre-like setting; fully open to the community; or somewhere in between.

An oversized, glazed door at the side of the stage lifts to expose it to the outdoor audience.  Demountable seating, stored below the Forum’s theatron, is provided on structured earthen terraces, quickly converting the entire space into a 300-seat amphitheater.  Overflow seating is also provided in the lawn, similar to the successful concepts pioneered in Chicago’s Millennium Park.  Due to these flexibilities and the configurability of the space, the Park Embrace can thus remain primarily dedicated to park activities until the event deadline approaches.