Dezeen surveys 13 US presidential libraries from Hoover to Bush
Ahead of the Obama Presidential Center opening in Chicago, Dezeen surveys 13 completed US presidential libraries, from Herbert Hoover to George W. Bush. The first formalized library was Franklin D. Roosevelt's in 1941, established alongside the US National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The 1955 Presidential Libraries Act encouraged presidents to donate materials. Each president selects an architect and funds construction privately before NARA manages the site. Republican presidents often choose traditional firms; Democrats favor modernism. Notable designs include IM Pei's space-age John F. Kennedy library (1979), Gordon Bunshaft's brutalist Lyndon B. Johnson library (1971), and James S Polshek's cantilevered glass William J. Clinton library (2004). The Ronald Reagan library is the largest by square footage. Three libraries are underway: Donald Trump's skyscraper in Miami, Barack Obama's center in Chicago, and Joe Biden's digital-only library. Snøhetta's Theodore Roosevelt library in North Dakota nears completion but is not NARA-affiliated.
Key facts
- 13 completed US presidential libraries surveyed from Hoover to George W. Bush
- First formal library: Franklin D. Roosevelt's in 1941, established with NARA
- 1955 Presidential Libraries Act passed by Congress
- Each president selects architect and funds construction privately
- Republican presidents often choose traditional firms; Democrats favor modernism
- IM Pei designed John F. Kennedy library (dedicated 1979)
- Gordon Bunshaft designed Lyndon B. Johnson library (opened 1971)
- Ronald Reagan library is largest by square footage
- Three libraries underway: Trump (Miami skyscraper), Obama (Chicago), Biden (digital)
- Snøhetta's Theodore Roosevelt library in North Dakota not NARA-affiliated
Entities
Artists
- IM Pei
- Gordon Bunshaft
- James S Polshek
- Henry Toombs
- Louis A Simon
- Edward F Neild
- Gould Evans
- James Canole
- Langdon Wilson Architecture Planning
- Jickling, Lyman and Powell Associates
- Jova/Daniels/Busby
- Lawton, Umemura and Yamamoto
- The Stubbins Associates
- HOK
- RAMSA
- Eggers and Higgins
- Snøhetta
- Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
- Lady Bird Johnson
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Harry S Truman
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
- John F. Kennedy
- Lyndon B. Johnson
- Richard Nixon
- Gerald R. Ford
- Jimmy Carter
- Ronald Reagan
- George H. W. Bush
- William J. Clinton
- George W. Bush
- Herbert Hoover
- Donald Trump
- Barack Obama
- Joe Biden
- Barbara Bush
Institutions
- Dezeen
- US National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
- Society of Architectural Historians
- Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)
- Richard Nixon Foundation
- Herbert Hoover National Historic Site
- University of Massachusetts Boston
- University of Texas at Austin
- University of Michigan
- Texas A&M University
- Southern Methodist University
- Obama Presidential Center
- Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library
- George Bush Presidential Library and Museum
- William J Clinton Presidential Library and Museum
- George W Bush Presidential Library
- Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum
- Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum
- Gerald R Ford Presidential Library
- Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
- Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library and Museum
- John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
- Dwight D Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum
- Harry S Truman Presidential Library and Museum
- Franklin D Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum
- Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum
Locations
- Chicago
- Illinois
- United States
- West Branch
- Iowa
- Hudson Valley
- New York
- Independence
- Missouri
- Abilene
- Kansas
- Boston
- Dorchester
- Massachusetts
- Austin
- Texas
- Yorba Linda
- California
- Ann Arbor
- Michigan
- Grand Rapids
- Atlanta
- Georgia
- Little Rock
- Arkansas
- University Park
- Dallas
- Miami
- Florida
- North Dakota
- Washington, DC
Sources
- Dezeen —