Obama Presidential Library – Monumental Stair
LaufsED is proud to have provided detailed engineering for the monumental stair located within the tower lobby of the new Obama Presidential Library in Chicago. Working closely with the project team, our scope included the structural steel framing for the stair, glass guardrail assemblies with custom bronze cladding and handrails, as well as the bronze wall panel support systems, contributing to a refined architectural feature at the heart of the building.
The stair structure was carefully engineered to balance architectural expression with structural performance. Pinned support connections were incorporated to accommodate building movements and avoid introducing unintended stiffening effects into the primary structure. The stair features fabricated steel plate treads supporting wood finishes, while the integrated glass and bronze detailing required close coordination to achieve the project's high standards of craftsmanship and precision.
