Obama Presidential Center Fountain - Chicago, IL

Ann Dunham Water Garden

A Water Feature Centered on Reflection:

The Barack Obama Presidential Center in Chicago’s Jackson Park is being built as a civic campus focused on community, gathering, and reflection. Within the campus, the Ann Dunham Water Garden — named in honor of President Obama’s mother — will serve as a quiet place for visitors to pause near the Center’s north entrance.

At the center of the garden is a sculptural water installation by artist Maya Lin, whose work has shaped how the country approaches spaces of memory. Her commission, Seeing Through the Universe, anchors the space with water elements intended not for spectacle, but for meaning and reflection.

A Personal and Welcoming Space

The installation includes an upright oculus element that creates mist and a second sculptural form — a low “pebble” element — where water gathers and gently cascades over the surface. Together, these elements are meant to create a calm, welcoming environment that supports reflection while remaining accessible and inviting to visitors of all ages.

President Obama has described picturing his mother sitting on a bench nearby on a summer afternoon, smiling as children run through the fountain. That image defines what the water must do: it must feel welcoming, safe, and reliable while remaining visually quiet within the landscape.

From Vision to Built Reality

Laughing Waters was brought in to help carry the water features from concept to constructed reality. Our role focuses on translating the artistic and architectural vision into systems that can operate reliably over time — ensuring the water performs as intended while allowing the meaning of the space to remain front and center.

This work requires careful coordination across disciplines and attention to the details that allow the installation to function consistently from opening day through long-term public use.

Ongoing Construction

Because the Obama Presidential Center is still under construction, work on the water features continues alongside the broader campus and landscape installation. The goal is not just a successful opening, but dependable performance for decades to come within a site that will be visited by generations.

This is one of the most meaningful projects our team has been part of, and we are proud to play a role in helping bring it forward.