When it opens in late 2025, the Home Court will be the first completed space on the Obama Presidential Center campus in Chicago. Located on the southwest corner of the 19.3-acre Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park, the Home Court will be the largest gathering space on the campus.
Renderings recently have been released of the 45,000-sf multipurpose sports facility and events space designed by Moody Nolan. Elevate Design Builders, a joint firm led by Bowa Construction and AECOM Hunt, is the builder.
The Home Court features a regulation-size NBA basketball court with intersecting practice courts, flexible seating, fitness equipment, and training spaces. A mezzanine level provides additional seating for an intimate spectator experience. Home Court also offers multipurpose spaces for community activities.
The Home Court’s design is inspired by two of President Obama’s passions: basketball and community building. The sleek metal and glass panel exterior has been patterned to evoke a basketball net and community connection. The expansive, east-facing glass façade—fritted to protect birds by keeping them from striking it—will offer views of the campus.
“From the outset, President Obama knew he wanted our Home Court to be a place where people could come for fun, inspiration, and learning—the kind of community spaces we need in an inclusive democracy,” Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett said in a statement. “We intend for it to be an extraordinary resource to our community that will allow families to improve their health and wellness, and participate in educational and career readiness programming all in hopes of building a brighter, healthier future.”
The design aligns with the Obama Foundation’s sustainability goals for the campus. The two-story lobby will provide natural light for many of the building’s interior spaces. Like the rest of the campus, the Home Court will be heated and cooled mostly with geothermal energy, part of the campus-wide strategy to avoid using fossil fuels.
Related Stories
Cultural Facilities | May 15, 2015
Design for beekeeping facility in Tanzania by Jaklitsch/Gardner Architects unveiled
The developers say the center will be an important educational and vocational tool.
Cultural Facilities | May 14, 2015
Szczecin Philharmonic Hall wins Mies van der Rohe Award 2015
The hall is composed following a Fibonacci sequence whose fragmentation increases with the distance from the scene.
Cultural Facilities | May 13, 2015
MVRDV selected to design High Line-inspired park in Seoul
The garden will be organized as a library of plants, which will make the park easier to navigate.
Museums | May 13, 2015
The museum of tomorrow: 8 things to know about cultural institutions in today’s society
Entertainment-based experiences, personal journeys, and community engagement are among the key themes that cultural institutions must embrace to stay relevant, write Gensler's Diana Lee and Richard Jacob.
High-rise Construction | May 6, 2015
Parks in the sky? Subterranean bike paths? Meet the livable city, designed in 3D
Today’s great cities must be resilient—and open—to many things, including the influx of humanity, writes Gensler co-CEO Andy Cohen.
Multifamily Housing | Apr 22, 2015
Condo developers covet churches for conversions
Former churches, many of which are sitting on prime urban real estate, are being converted into libraries, restaurants, and with greater frequency condominiums.
Green | Apr 22, 2015
AIA Committee on the Environment recognizes Top 10 Green Projects
Seattle's Bullitt Center and the University Center at The New School are among AIA's top 10 green buildings for 2015.
Cultural Facilities | Apr 20, 2015
Jean Nouvel loses court battle against Philharmonie de Paris over alleged design ‘sabotage’
Nouvel boycotted the January opening of the facility and asked for his name to be removed from all references to the work.
Cultural Facilities | Apr 16, 2015
Milwaukee’s Lakeshore State Park visitor center will be ‘off the grid’
The plans also include a built-in wastewater treatment system and rainwater collection.
Museums | Apr 10, 2015
Henning Larsen Architects designs timber museum extension in Sweden
The new extension will complement Österund’s wooded surroundings
