As Bad As Obama’s Library Design Is, The Merch He’s Selling There Is Worse

I still think it looks like a Star Wars droid. pic.twitter.com/WptnUGlxvd

— James Madison (@FoundersTruth) October 19, 2025

The building is meant to symbolize four hands coming together in unity. If you don’t see that when you look at it, don’t worry; no one else does either. The exterior features words from one of Obama’s speeches, but they’re displayed so poorly that it’s difficult to read them, which reflects poorly on Obama himself.

Interestingly, he was very involved in the design process, which may explain the building’s unappealing appearance. The designers confirmed the extent of his involvement:

It was designed for Obama by Billie Tsien and Tod Williams, who recently revealed the design “very much a product of his vision as well as ours” after the former president repeatedly pressed them to make the design as “bold” as possible.

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