New Delhi, Dec. 27 -- The Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park on Chicago's South Side is set to open next June. And now, the Center has addressed years of public criticism over its unconventional design, with an Obama Foundation official explaining key choices behind the structure.

Construction on the 225-foot-tall building began in 2021 on Chicago's South Side and is slated to open in June 2026. The center will house a presidential library.

Chicago residents have questioned the building's mostly gray, windowless exterior. Kim Patterson, Deputy Director of the Obama Foundation, explained that the design is purposeful.

"There are not a lot of windows on the building, but that's intentional, because sunlight is just not a friend to...