Obamas choose New York architects to lead design of their presidential library and museum
by Kim Megson | 01 Jul 2016
Barack and Michelle Obama have chosen the architectural team of Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects and Partners (TWBTA) and Interactive Design Architects (IDEA) to design the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.
The Obama Foundation – started by the Obamas in 2014 to “inspire the next generation of young leaders across the world" – issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to seven architectural firms in December. The shortlist, which was whittled down from a list of 140 interested firms, included big names including Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Renzo Piano and Snøhetta.
When built, the centre will include a library holding the presidential archives, a museum focusing on the Obama presidency and space for initiatives that advance the foundation’s public mission to promote global progress.
TWBTA, based in New York, and IDEA, based in Chicago, will lead a multidisciplinary team that may include as many as 20 other firms engaged in various specialty areas. The Obama Foundation will manage the design and construction of the Center in collaboration with a project management team yet to be named.
“TWBTA stood out in their commitment to exploring the best ways of creating an innovative centre for action that inspires communities and individuals to take on our biggest challenges,” said the foundation’s chair, Martin Nesbitt. “IDEA bring local knowledge and a track record for delivering excellence to large, complex civic projects.”
Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, the husband-and-wife founding partners of TWBTA, said: "We believe that architecture is the coming together of art and use, and can bring a sense of grace to life. 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 honour, and a responsibility to create a place that reflects the optimism and integrity of the President and the First Lady.
“This has been a transformative presidency and we will work to make a Center that embodies and expands the Obamas' vision.”
The firm’s previous leisure projects include the Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago and the Barnes Foundation art museum in Philadelphia.
The Obama Foundation is currently considering two sites for the location of the Center – Jackson Park and Washington Park on the South Side. The cost of the project will be approximately US$500m (€450m, £376m). Work is set to begin next year, and completed by 2021.
The presidential library system began in 1939, when Franklin D. Roosevelt donated his presidential papers to the federal government to be preserved and made accessible to the public.
There are currently 13 presidential libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), beginning with the 31st President, Herbert Hoover.
Barack Obama Michelle Obama Obama Foundation presidential library Chicago Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects Interactive Design Architects
Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, the husband-and-wife founding partners of TWBTA, said they were honoured to win the project Credit: Jason Smith
14 Apr 2016
Obama names women's museum national monument
05 Feb 2016
Obama promotes liveable cities and green transport with White House budget proposal
21 Dec 2015
Seven top architects in the running to design Obama's legacy project
19 Aug 2015
Architects sought for Barack Obama's presidential library
13 May 2015
Chicago wins right to host Obama presidential library
Barack and Michelle Obama have chosen the architectural team of Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects and Partners (TWBTA) and Interactive Design Architects (IDEA) to design the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. The Obama Foundation – started by the Obamas in 2014 to “inspire the next generation of young leaders across the world" – issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to seven architectural firms in December. The shortlist, which was whittled
CLD,VAT,HAM,PRO,ARC,DES,DEV,INV
More news
AI firm Midjourney enters wellness with spa, fitness and body scanning concept
by Helen Andrews | 21 Jul 2026
TLee Spas and Wellness has revealed the design for a wellness destination concept for AI company Midjourney, that blurs the boundaries between spa, fitness and preventative healthcare, with the goal of improving public health. Midjourney is a generative AI research company known for offering its users a way to create detailed stylised images and videos from text descriptions via a chat-style online platform. It is a community-backed research lab without
Hot spring wellness community Ameyalli sells residences and breaks ground on resort and spa
by Helen Andrews | 21 Jul 2026
Ameyalli, the 78-acre wellbeing resort and residential community in Midway in Utah, US, has broken ground on phase two of the hot spring development – the Ameyalli Resort and Spa – which is due to open in 2028. We first wrote about the project in 2024, when wellness industry figure Deepak Chopra and the Chopra Foundation were co-developers. Chopra has since stepped away from the project, but he played a
OMA completes New Museum transformation with landmark expansion and Oberon restaurant
by Liz Terry |
OMA has completed a major transformation of New York's New Museum, creating a larger cultural campus that combines expanded exhibition spaces with learning, performance, hospitality and public programming. The latest addition, Oberon, extends the visitor experience beyond the gallery, reflecting a growing trend for museums to become all-day destinations.
The New Museum in New York has entered a new chapter with the completion of a major
David Rockwell creates immersive magic destination, The Hand and The Eye
by Liz Terry | 14 Jul 2026
A US$50 million (£44.2 million, €51.2 million) transformation of Chicago's historic McCormick Mansion has created a new destination that combines live magic, immersive theatre, dining and private membership under one roof. The Hand & The Eye occupies the 36,000sq ft (3,345sq m) landmark building at 100 East Ontario Street, where visitors move through a series of intimate performance spaces, lounges, bars and dining rooms as part of a curated three-hour
Montana Heritage Center by Cushing Terrell opens after US$107 million investment
by Liz Terry | 13 Jul 2026
The Montana Historical Society has officially celebrated the opening of its new Montana Heritage Center, a US$107 million (£79 million, €92 million) destination that combines immersive storytelling with cutting-edge audiovisual technology to bring the state's history to life. Located in Helena, the 165,000sq ft (15,330sq m) complex brings together the restored Veterans and Pioneers Memorial Building with the new 70,000sq ft (6,500sq m) Betty Babcock Building. Operated by the Montana
Universal launches new theme park model with Kids Resort
by Liz Terry | 10 Jul 2026
Universal Destinations and Experiences has launched a new regional theme park model with the opening of Universal Kids Resort in Frisco, Texas. The resort is the company's first theme park designed specifically for families with young children and represents a move beyond Universal's traditional large-scale destination resort model. Developed on a 97-acre site north of Dallas, the resort combines a family-focused theme park with the 300-room Universal Kids Resort Hotel.
'Minor wellness hotels' recorded the strongest growth across top KPIs in 2025, finds RLA Global
by Helen Andrews | 09 Jul 2026
Wellness hotels generating less than US$1 million (€932,700, £785,200) – or 10 per cent of total revenue from wellness and leisure – recorded the strongest RevPAR and TRevPAR growth in 2025 across categories when compared with 2024, according to the latest Wellness Real Estate Report by RLA Global, produced in partnership with P and L benchmarking firm HotStats. This is the seventh annual report of its kind. RevPAR for properties
Great Barrier Reef attraction set for AU$180 million reinvention
by Liz Terry | 08 Jul 2026
Plans for the AU$180 million redevelopment of Reef HQ Aquarium in Townsville, Australia, are progressing, with the project set to transform the attraction into a global centre for reef education and conservation. The Australian government is funding the redevelopment, which will deliver a major upgrade of the aquarium – the official education centre for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. The project will include new visitor experiences, immersive exhibitions,
Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere, has architecture by Leach Rhodes Walker and interiors by Bergman Design House.
by Helen Andrews | 10 Jul 2026
Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere, has opened today (10 July) near Knutsford in the north-west of England with a 1,715sq m Fairmont Spa that has been designed using a ‘Wellness without Walls’ concept. The Select Group, a Dubai-headquartered real estate developer and hospitality investor, acquired the property for £35 million (US$45 million, €41 million) and a further £90 million (US$114 million, €105 million). The 157-acre estate has a rich history, having
Marriott International partners with Fitwel for wellness solutions across its residential portfolio
by Helen Andrews | 10 Jul 2026
Marriott International has partnered with Fitwel, a healthy building certification system that aims to optimise occupant health. Marriott has become Fitwel’s first Enterprise Partner and the new healthy building solutions will be implemented across the operator’s global portfolio of branded residences. The pilot location for the global partnership is The Ritz-Carlton Residences Chicago, Magnificent Mile, US, which received a two-star Fitwel Certification in March. Learn more about Fitwel here.
Preidlhof Luxury DolceVita Resort to unveil new spa in February 2027
by Helen Andrews | 03 Jul 2026
Preidlhof Luxury DolceVita Resort, the destination resort and spa in Naturno, South Tyrol in Italy, will reveal a new spa in February 2027, designed by wellness expert and consultant Patrizia Bortolin. Bortolin has been the wellness concept manager for the 71-key resort since 2019, when she introduced The Preidlhof Way. This is a holistic wellness philosophy that means the resort’s extensive multidisciplinary team of practitioners offers an array of wellbeing
Places Leisure is working with Roberts Limbrick to build £60m wellness flagship in Basingstoke
by Kath Hudson | 10 Jul 2026
Places Leisure has exchanged contracts to build and operate a flagship £60m water and wellness destination on behalf of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council. This will be the biggest investment in wellbeing the borough has seen for decades. The landmark facility will replace Basingstoke Aquadrome. Subject to planning permission, the complex will be built in a new location on the site, enabling the existing Aquadrome to remain open until the new
Hoshino Resorts opens Kai Kusatsu as it expands the Kai onsen ryokan brand
by Helen Andrews | 01 Jul 2026
Kai Kusatsu, an onsen ryokan property has launched in the famous Japanese hot spring destination, Kusatsu Onsen in Gunma Prefecture. Parent company Hoshino Resorts launched the resort to coincide with the 15th anniversary of the Kai ryokan brand – which is set to grow to a portfolio of 30 properties across Japan by 2030. Read our interview in Spa Business with Yoshiharu Hoshino, CEO of Hoshino Resorts, about his plans
Qiddiya and Populous share details of Saudi Arabia’s National Tennis Centre
by Magali Robathan | 01 Jul 2026
Populous has unveiled the design for the National Tennis Centre at Qiddiya City, Saudi Arabia — a 30-court complex that will become the future home of international tennis in Saudi Arabia. The National Tennis Centre is owned and developed by Qiddiya Investment Company, and is a core pillar of Saudi Vision 2030. Designed by Populous as lead architect, lead interior designer and lead masterplanner, the National Tennis Centre will be
Disney confirms US$30 billion investment programme as it highlights its economic impact
by Liz Terry | 25 Jun 2026
Disney has reaffirmed its commitment to investing US$30 billion in its US parks and cruise business by 2033, using new America250 celebrations to underline the role its attractions play in supporting jobs, tourism and economic growth. The company highlighted the investment programme as part of a wider campaign marking the 250th anniversary of the United States, while also drawing attention to the economic contribution of its domestic parks and experiences
Until combines multiple disciplines at new Canary Wharf club
by Kath Hudson | 30 Jun 2026
Until has opened its fourth club at Canary Wharf, in the iconic YY London building. Following on from existing sites in Soho, Marylebone and Liverpool Street, Canary Wharf is the biggest and most ambitious to date, bringing health and wellness specialism under one roof including fitness, nutrition, physiotherapy, medical and dental. “Our Canary Wharf Club is the fullest expression yet of what Until is trying to do,” says CEO and co-founder,
Sea Lanes opens following a partnership between The Eden Project and Canary Wharf Group
by Kath Hudson | 23 Jun 2026
Sea Lanes Canary Wharf has officially opened. The 50-metre, six-lane pool, which uses the natural water of the dock, offers year-round open water swimming in an iconic location. Located within the revitalised Eden Dock, the project has been created by the team behind Sea Lanes Brighton in partnership with Canary Wharf Group and The Eden Project. It will be operated by South Downs Leisure. Designed for swimmers of all
Bas Smets brings water and wilderness to Vitra
by Liz Terry | 20 Jun 2026
Swiss furniture manufacturer Vitra has unveiled a major landscape project designed to improve biodiversity, manage water and increase climate resilience across the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein, Germany. Created by Belgian landscape architect Bas Smets, the new Water Garden soft opened on 17 June during Art Basel and to the public from 18 June. The official launch will take place on 4 July as part of the Vitra Campus Summer
Expo 2030 Riyadh will create a permanent global destination
by Liz Terry | 23 Jun 2026
Expo 2030 Riyadh is being planned as a permanent visitor destination, with organisers confirming the six-million-square-metre site will become a Global Village after the event closes. The World Expo, which will run from 1 October 2030 to 31 March 2031, is expected to attract more than 42 million visits and host 197 participating nations across more than 230 pavilions, making it one of the largest ever staged. Riyadh's masterplan has
Luxury resort coming to Hunter Valley will have longevity spa
by Helen Andrews | 29 Jun 2026
Private hotel owner and developer Hunter Valley Luxury Hotels (HVL Hotels) will open a new luxury resort and tourism destination called Laval Hunter Valley in the second half of 2027 in Pokolbin, Australia. The 65-key property will be built on the 165-acre winemaking Lindeman Estate in the Hunter Valley. The project has attracted AUS$130 million (US$85 million, €74 million, £64 million) in investment from various undisclosed partners, in addition to
'Data chocolate', dreams made real and artworks shaped by visitors’ emotions: Refik Anadol’s AI art museum launches in Los Angeles
by Magali Robathan | 19 Jun 2026
“For 5,000 years humans have been emotionally moved by artworks, but the relationship has always flowed in one direction,” said Refik Anadol, artist and co-founder of the world’s first AI art museum. “While developing Dataland we asked ourselves, ‘Is it possible for artworks to feel us back?’” Dataland, the Museum of AI Arts, opens on June 20 2026 at the Frank Gehry-designed Grand LA in Downtown Los Angeles. Its inaugural
London Museum reveals 2026 opening date for new Smithfield home
by Magali Robathan | 19 Jun 2026
The London Museum’s new site will open in Smithfield, East London, on 28 November 2026. The new museum, designed by Asif Khan and Stanton Williams, alongside conservation architects Julian Harrap, will tell the story of London and its history, and will also act as a social space for residents and visitors. Items on permanent display will include the vest worn by King Charles I at his execution, Emmeline Pankhurst’s hunger
BIG unveils Eve Music Hall as Croatia venue nears completion
by Liz Terry | 04 Jun 2026
Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has unveiled its design for Eve Music Hall in Čepin, eastern Croatia, as construction progresses towards completion ahead of the opening, which is scheduled for March 2027. The 10,000sq m venue is being developed as a new cultural, entertainment and events destination for the Slavonia region and is BIG's first completed project in Croatia, as well as its first completed music performance venue. Designed to accommodate
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
by Liz Terry | 04 Jun 2026
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while remaining actively involved with the company. Ownership has transferred to president Carmel Lewis, chief creative officer Christian Lachel and vice presidents of story and creative, Brad Shelton and Matthew Solari. The move formalises a leadership structure that the company says has been operating in
Palazzo di Varignana launches family wellbeing and longevity retreat in Emilia Romagna
by Helen Andrews | 22 Jun 2026
Palazzo di Varignana, in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy, has created a new tailored health programme designed specifically for families. Families with young children can visit the 650-hectare estate, located near Bologna, to experience a retreat designed by the resort’s scientific director, Dr Annamaria Acquaviva. A dietitian and expert in mindfulness and longevity science, Acquaviva has created the programme to help children and teenagers build healthy and lasting habits.
Anasa Wellness and Spa debuts at Patmos Aktis as it joins Marriott
by Helen Andrews | 22 Jun 2026
Patmos Aktis, a Luxury Collection Resort and Spa, has opened in Greece, with a renovated and rebranded wellness offering called Anasa Wellness and Spa. The property, which is located on the southeast side of Patmos Island in Grikos Bay, is owned by the Greek investment fund SMERemediumCap (SMERC). The resort has now completed a full renovation to reposition itself in the Luxury Collection brand category for Marriott International. This brand
Design-led Koru Health Club combines high-performance training with recovery
by Kath Hudson | 22 Jun 2026
Koru Health Club launched recently within Luxembourg’s multi-experience destination, GRID X, which combines culture, retail and hospitality. The club combines high-end sports facilities with a strong sense of community in an ultra-modern space. UK-based interior designers, Zynk, delivered the interior architecture and brand identity for the 27,000sq ft club. The vision was to create a premium fitness and wellness destination that blends high-performance training with restorative experiences to create a
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
by Helen Andrews | 03 Jun 2026
Lithuanian care operator Addere Care has launched a “wellness care hospital” in Vilnius. It's the company’s second Lithuanian site, following a hospital in Trakai, but the first to offer professional medical care in a spa resort environment. The new 4,400sq m facility has been developed within a reconstructed former hotel. It features 160 rooms and a day care centre that can accommodate up to 12 patients at a time. The
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
by Liz Terry | 27 May 2026
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
For years, the corridor has been associated primarily with science, technology, housing and university-led economic growth. However, the clustering of large-scale visitor attraction projects along the
All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
by Helen Andrews | 28 May 2026
Auko, an all-inclusive development, is opening in Phong Nha in Vietnam in Q3 2026, with a series of 30 tented eco-lodges and wellness hospitality operations by Lumina Wellbeing. Van Phu Real Estate Development JSC owns the property, which is set along the Son River in the UNESCO-listed landscape of Phong Nha–Ke Bang National Park. The site borders the world’s largest cave system by volume (38.5 million cubic metres), the Son
company profile
Try cladmag for free!
Sign up with CLAD to receive our regular ezine, instant news alerts, free digital subscriptions to CLADweek, CLADmag and CLADbook and to request a free sample of the next issue of CLADmag.
sign up
Catalogue Gallery
Click on a catalogue to view it online
To advertise in our catalogue gallery: call +44(0)1462 431385
cladkit product news
In the world of wellness, the age-old tradition of sauna bathing is synonymous with relaxation, detoxification and rejuvenation. But, a ...
Porada's new Enook Brillo coffee table
Maurizio Marconato and Terry Zappa have created the Enook Brillo coffee table for Italian design studio Porada – a retro-inspired design ...
cladkit product news
Studiotamat has teamed up with Ariana de Luca to create the Balera range
The new Balera Collection sees design studio Studiotamat team up with ceramic artist Arianna De Luca and lighting designer Ninefifty ...
The system uses heat-treated lime wood cladding, available in either a dark or light tone
Sauna specialist Effe (formerly Effegibi) has introduced its new sauna and hammam collection, Baluar, designed by architect and designer Patricia ...
cladkit product news
Wake is crafted from hand-spun ceramic and pressed glass, behind which a gentle light emanates to improve sleep routines and wellbeing
Design firm Heatherwick Studio and British lighting brand Tala have teamed up to create a sleep light called Wake. The ...
LivinGlobe can install ultra short throw projections or premium LED panels, as well as the surround sound system and video server
Founded more than 10 years ago, LivinGlobe was one of the first companies in the immersive wellness space with its ...
