Obama Center Engineer Defends 433-Letter Tower as Critics Brand It a Monstrosity

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 20

Chris Bird, the structural engineer behind the tower’s upper section, said Barack Obama wanted “something bold” and that the design’s speech-wrapped crown fulfilled that vision as the center opened Friday.
The feature Bird designed uses 91 words from Obama’s speeches and 433 letters about five feet tall, a treatment he called architecturally unprecedented.
Online detractors have labeled the building a “monstrous insult,” “concrete nightmare” and “monstrosity,” but Bird said the tower is a grand gesture that fits surrounding buildings and anchors the South Side site.
At the 19.3-acre campus opening, visitors interviewed by Fox News Digital largely praised the center as “phenomenal,” “breathtaking,” “futuristic” and “unique,” underscoring how sharply the landmark has polarized opinion.