When Barack Obama took office in 2009 as the first Black president of the United States, he broke a precedent that had stood for more than two centuries. It follows a certain logic, then, that the institution created to carry his legacy should also depart from convention. Traditional presidential libraries have tended to look backwards, preserving and enshrining a particular administration through what is often described as a ‘treasure box’ approach. Opening to the public on 19 June 2026 within Chicago’s Jackson Park, the Obama Presidential Center takes a different path. Further south, Home Court anchors the site’s recreational programme, while gardens, playgrounds, lawns and pathways extend the Center into the renewed landscape of Jackson Park.