A view looking east on Garfield Boulevard shows vehicular access to the underground tunnel, and the resulting, sheltered area of Obama Square beyond.  Through-traffic is routed below grade, freeing Washington Park from its dangerous complications of congestion, poor vehicle management, and aggressive driving.  This action will unite the north and south sections of the park, aligning the space more closely with Olmsted’s original vision.  Note that in the era of streetcars, 55th Street through the park was not a high-volume route; streetcar traffic eastbound and westbound was routed around the perimeter.  (View a Chicago Surface Lines Map  from 1947.)

Meanwhile, a variety of decorative, traffic-calming features ensure that the Obama Presidential Center is afforded a dignified and experiential procession as one approaches its various points of entry from the city.  The formal, open space at this grade-level terminus to Garfield Boulevard balances its unique placement in an urban environment with the demands of the Presidential Center, which itself warrants a grand overture, a multi-layered experience, a satisfying sense of arrival, and an engaging atmosphere.  Obama Square welcomes the vitality of the surrounding blocks, but sets this space clearly apart from a typical Chicago urban tableau by virtue of its focus on street life and the pedestrian experience: The City Embrace.  Activated by mass transit; anchored by the University of Chicago’s Arts Block, a new hotel, and an assortment of other community features; the experience of arriving at the Obama Presidential Center will be stately, yet never imposing, filled with the activities of a healthy community.

The hotel (surrounding the multimodal parking facility) is visible at the left.  The University of Chicago’s Arts Block is visible at right.  At the termination of Garfield Boulevard is the new Chicago Public Library and Presidential Reading Room, occupying a long-span bridge structure which serves as a gateway to the Beacon of Hope tower and parklands beyond.  (Vehicular circulation and pedestrian access are described more fully on slide 9 of this booklet.)