Li Han
Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, China
Master of Urban Development and Design, University of New South Wales, Australia
Mobile: +61 452450093
Email: lihan1222@foxmail.com
The 2015 International Urban Design Studio
The Obama Presidential Centre (OPC) was an exciting program and I really appreciate the experience of this international urban design studio and the opportunity to work with the SOM company in Chicago. This program made me realise how much we can do to improve the city into a better place for people to live. The methods and mentality of research and design are the most important things I have learnt during this studio, and I also had a better understand about the graphical and verbal presentation skills with the help of Professor James and my classmates (Thank you all!).
Overview
The statement from the Obama Foundation gives us a general idea of what the OPC should be:
‘The Barack Obama Foundation… will both plan and development a Presidential Centre for future activities, including the Presidential Library, a museum and broader campus, and engage in activities reflecting President’s Obama’s and the First Lady’s values and priorities throughout his career in public service: expanding economic opportunity, inspiring and ethic of American citizenship, and promoting peace, justice and dignity throughout the world.
The Foundation envisions a Presidential Centre that, through its mission, initiatives and physical and virtual presence, advances and interprets the themes of civic engagement, global perspective, health and wellness, environmental stewardship, public education, a spirit of innovation, and will become an anchor for economic development and cultivate a strong relationship with the library’s surrounding community.’
Presidential Library
According to our research on the typology of the presidential libraries in US, the Obama Presidential Centre will be the first presidential libraries located in urban fabric, while all the others were built in suburb. Therefore, the OPC is more public-transport-related and neighbourhood-engaged than other presidential libraries in US.
The South Side Community
We researched on the background of the South Side, the neighbourhood which accommodates the official sites of the OPC, and great characteristics are founded in its traditions, prides and challenges. The South Side saw the Great Migration between 1910 and 1970 when working labours of Arica moved into Chicago. As a result, a huge part of the population in the South Side is African-American, and the traditions of this neighbourhood has been deeply influenced by the soul culture in many aspects – music, movies, literature and activism. The South Side accommodates the South Park System, the University of Chicago and various types of Churches in the community, and even participated the bid for the 2016 Olympics once. However, the community has been troubled for decades by population decline, low level of educational attainment, sluggish economy condition, high unemployment rate and high crime rate.
Urban Regeneration
Considering the facts, the OPC is expected to be an urban catalyst for the regeneration of the South Side of Chicago. We came up with 8 regeneration elements that should be involved in the future development of the South Side – partnership, education, housing, business, employment, culture, transportation and health environment. All the elements above could be shown in our design principles.
Design – The 51st site
By analysing the urban fabric of the communities in the South Side, each of our three group came up with two option of the OPC site. The first site selected my group is located on the northeast corner of the Washington Park on the 51st Street. The vision is to create a building embedded in the landscape, honoring the spatial flow of the Olmsted Park, while also being in synergy with Provident hospital and the Walter H Dyett High School. Sited at the northwest corner of Washington Park, the OPC preserves the significant arboretum facing Martin Luther King Drive and connects with 51st Street station on the Green Line. Ellsworth Drive is redirected to cross Martin Luther King Drive and cut through the long blocks of the neighborhood, which is a key move to regenerate the neighborhood.
Design – The Garfield Site
The second site is set around the Garfield Station of the Green Line. The vision is to create an integrated web of buildings that defines the surrounding streets and draws in the landscape qualities of the park in a flowing series of green courtyards. The vision includes integration of the elevated station at Garfield with the complex of buildings. The building is scaled to the Edmund Burke School and the community’s arts incubators on Garfield Boulevard. A light rail is proposed to build on the Garfield Boulevard to connect all the civic assets in the community, the Park and the University of Chicago for better use.
