George W. Bush Library an Architectural Embodiment of the President's Self-Image

The George W. Bush Presidential Center, which was dedicated this past week, is a rare glimpse into the former president’s understanding of his own legacy, writes Henry Grabar.

1 minute read

April 28, 2013, 5:00 AM PDT

By Anna Bergren Miller @abergrenmiller


The building, which sits on the Georgian revival-dominated campus of Southern Methodist University, was designed by architect Robert A. M. Stern. “I wanted it to have the Texas feel that this building does because that’s where we’re from,” Laura Bush explained. The building was constructed largely of local materials, including Texas Cordova Cream limestone and mesquite floors.

“I also wanted the building to be modern-looking, to be forward-looking because George was president during the very first decade of our new century,” the former first lady explained. But while the LEED Platinum-certified structure may be on the cutting edge of sustainable design, its architecture is hardly avant garde. Its rectilinearity recalls 1930s Italian architecture and nineteenth-century New England mill towns. Other precedents include the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and Karl Friedrich Schiller’s Schauspielhaus.

In his design for the presidential library, Stern succeeded in capturing some of the contradictions at the heart of George W. Bush’s self-image: compassion and conservatism, warmth and firmness.

Thursday, April 25, 2013 in Atlantic Cities

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight