Typography as Monument: Words of Hope at Obama Presidential Center
The Obama Presidential Center and Library opened on June 18 in Chicago's Jackson Park. The center features a monumental typographic installation titled 'Words of Hope' by Pentagram, Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, and the Obama Foundation. The installation consists of 103 words from Obama's 2015 Selma-to-Montgomery speech, formed by 458 letters each 4 feet 4 inches tall in Gotham Bold. The inscription wraps around the tower's upper south and west-facing corners, becoming part of the building's silhouette. The project celebrates typography at an architectural scale, transforming language into civic monument.
Key facts
- Obama Presidential Center opened June 18 in Chicago's Jackson Park
- Installation titled 'Words of Hope' uses excerpts from Obama's 2015 Selma speech
- 103 words, 458 letters, each 4 feet 4 inches tall (approx. 5,350-point Gotham Bold)
- Designed by Pentagram with Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects and Obama Foundation
- Inscription wraps around tower's upper south and west-facing corners
- Gotham typeface associated with Obama's campaigns
- Words appear differently from varying vantage points
- Photography by Angie McMonigal
Entities
Artists
- Shepard Fairey
- Tod Williams
- Billie Tsien
- Angie McMonigal
Institutions
- Obama Presidential Center
- Obama Foundation
- Pentagram
- Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects
- PRINT Magazine
Locations
- Chicago
- Jackson Park
- United States