Obama Presidential Center Fountain - Chicago, IL

The Obama Presidential Center is being built in Chicago’s Jackson Park as a civic campus dedicated to community, education, and public gathering. Within the landscape near the north entrance of the campus is the Ann Dunham Water Garden, a space designed to invite visitors to pause and experience the site in a quieter, more reflective way.

The garden features a sculptural water installation created by artist Maya Lin as part of her work Seeing Through the Universe. The installation introduces water into the landscape through two sculptural elements that create movement, atmosphere, and a subtle presence within the space.

Rather than functioning as a traditional fountain display, the water feature is designed to support the surrounding landscape and architectural environment. The installation allows water to interact with the sculptural forms and the public space around them in a way that feels calm, welcoming, and integrated with the overall design of the campus.



Laughing Waters was brought onto the project team to construct and deliver the water feature systems that support the installation. Our responsibility focused on translating the design concept into a functioning fountain system capable of operating reliably within a highly visited public environment.

Projects like this require close coordination between artists, architects, contractors, and the technical systems that allow the installation to perform consistently. Our team worked to ensure that the mechanical systems, controls, and water management infrastructure operate seamlessly behind the scenes while the sculptural elements remain the focus of the space.

The Obama Presidential Center will become one of Chicago’s most significant new civic destinations. Being part of the team responsible for delivering the water features within the Ann Dunham Water Garden is one of the most meaningful projects Laughing Waters has participated in.

It represents the type of work our company is proud to be involved in: complex public water features that contribute to important civic spaces and will be experienced by visitors for generations to come.