What does a presidential building look like?

The primary reason is the site: Jackson Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1871, and hosted the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893. The Cultural Landscape Foundation has long opposed putting the Obama Center in either Jackson or Washington Parks, both shortlisted sites, arguing that the new buildings represent a confiscation of public land, an overturning of Olmsted’s vision, and an unnecessary conflict between designers.