Look at it this way: Brutalist buildings are more “honest.”
All modern buildings are brutalist (reinforced concrete, bare materials) until their glass / metal / brick facades are put on.
The Obama library is the anti-trump building. It’s devoid of flamboyance, false adornment, unnecessary material, or flashy opulence. It is exactly what it wants to be. Imposing but unobtrusive on the skyline. It’s part of the scenery, without becoming the scenery.
Look at it this way: Brutalist buildings are more “honest.”
All modern buildings are brutalist (reinforced concrete, bare materials) until their glass / metal / brick facades are put on.
The Obama library is the anti-trump building. It’s devoid of flamboyance, false adornment, unnecessary material, or flashy opulence. It is exactly what it wants to be. Imposing but unobtrusive on the skyline. It’s part of the scenery, without becoming the scenery.