Love him or hate him, Barack Obama certainly has style. His presidential library will be a campus, not just a building

Calling it a "transformational project for this community," the former president said he and Michelle Obama envisioned a vibrant setting that would be akin to Millennium Park — a destination for those drawn to the presidential center and the park itself. But to achieve this, the plans call for closing Cornell Drive, a major access route used by thousands of commuters a day.

"It's not just a building. It's not just a park. Hopefully it's a hub where all of us can see a brighter future for the South Side," he told an audience of about 300 political and community leaders at the South Shore Cultural Center. It will also become, the Obama Foundation said, the first completely digital presidential library, with no paper records stored on site.

I love that he was thinking about the next generation when he was planning the space:

The Obamas want the center to be a living thing, not a building that "kids are being dragged to for a field trip," the former president said.

He said there is a tendency to see presidential libraries as "a monument to the past, a little bit of ego-tripping." Instead, he wants a building that "looked forward, not backward, and would provide a place to train future leaders to make a change in their communities, countries and the world."

Best of all? This place is going to have a sweet recording studio:

According to CNN, Obama mentioned that plans include "a music recording studio where I can invite Chance (the Rapper) or Bruce Springsteen, depending on your taste, to come here and talk about how you can record music that has social commentary and meaning."

Here’s a little bit of hyperbola for you about the center (it’s still cool):