Obama Presidential Library Design Competition Draws 140 Entrants

Some 140 architectural firms have put their names forward as candidates to design the Obama presidential library near the University of Chicago on the city's South Side, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. Nearly 71% of the "request for qualifications" submissions came from U.S. firms, the Sun-Times reports, with "many" said to have come from within Chicago's highly regarded design community. Overall, according to the report, bidding firms hail from 60 cities in 25 countries. Chicago was picked in May to host the Obama Presidential Center -- which is expected to comprise the library, a museum, the Barack Obama Foundation, meeting rooms and outdoor spaces -- having outdueled entries from Honolulu and New York City.