Designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, the Obama Presidential Center is a civic campus created to inspire future generations. Located in Jackson Park on Chicago’s South Side, its main auditorium has been conceived to meet the highest technical and spatial standards.
To equip its 291 places, Figueras developed two bespoke solutions that address the venue’s complex geometry and operational needs. The first 4 rows—3 of which are positioned on elevating platforms—feature stackable and removable chairs. Their floor-anchoring and interlocking systems guarantee the stability of a fixed seat while allowing the venue to reconfigure its capacity based on programming and accessibility requirements.
In the rear section, where continuous benches were installed, the process demanded millimetric coordination to align the fixings with the underfloor climate control system. This challenge culminated in the production of seven unique corner benches, each individually manufactured to fit the venue’s polygonal walls with absolute precision.
Through this project, Figueras reaffirms its ability to meet the most demanding functional challenges in world-class institutional venues.
