The Trump Organization has announced plans for what would be a radically different kind of presidential library: a gold-encrusted skyscraper in downtown Miami, designed to house a full-scale replica of the White House ballroom that does not yet exist. The proposal, revealed in social media posts by former President Donald Trump and his son Eric Trump on March 30, outlines a vision that departs sharply from the traditional museum-like architecture of past presidential libraries.
The project, spearheaded by the Trump Organization in collaboration with the Miami-based architecture firm Bermello Ajamil, would be located on a three-acre site at Miami Dade College, adjacent to the city’s Freedom Tower, the Pérez Art Museum Miami, and the American Airlines Arena. According to a statement from Bermello Ajamil, the site’s location is intended to make the building a “beacon” for cruise ships entering PortMiami.
A Departure from Presidential Library Norms
If built, the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library would become the 17th official presidential library administered by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). However, early renderings suggest a design more aligned with the Trump Organization’s portfolio of luxury residential towers than with the archival and museum facilities of its predecessors.
While the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago is larger than most, it is still designed as a campus of museum and forum buildings. In contrast, the proposed Miami structure appears as a supertall glass-and-steel skyscraper emblazoned with the “TRUMP” name, featuring a golden facade, a golden statue of the former president, and a needle-like spire. This “bigger-is-better” aesthetic marks a significant conceptual shift from the typically subdued, single- or low-rise designs of libraries like Jimmy Carter’s 35-acre garden site or Herbert Hoover’s modest, home-like building.
Unprecedented Design Features
The most striking elements of the Bermello Ajamil design include:
- A Golden Statue: A large, gold-covered statue of Donald Trump, hand raised, would overlook the building’s gold-accented entrance.
- Presidential Jet Display: The atrium is slated to feature a full-size aircraft, appearing to be an Air Force One jet. The design may incorporate the Boeing 747-8 previously offered as a gift by the Qatari government, though the firm did not confirm this specific plane.
- Exact Replicas of White House Spaces: The plans include precise recreations of the Oval Office and the Hall of Presidents. Most notably, a replica of a planned White House ballroom—a 90,000-square-foot space with 40-foot ceilings—is shown connected to the library by a glass pane. Willy Bermello, a partner at Bermello Ajamil, confirmed to Fast Company that these replicas would be “exact” and that the video renderings accurately represent the intended final design.
The integration of a massive ballroom, a feature not present in any existing presidential library, raises practical questions about how such a vast space would fit within the tower’s floor plan and serve the library’s archival and educational mission.
The Presidential Library System in Context
The presidential library system began in 1939 when Franklin D. Roosevelt donated his papers and part of his Hyde Park estate to the federal government. The goal was to preserve presidential records for public access and historical research. Every president since Herbert Hoover has established a library, each operated by NARA and typically funded through a combination of private donations for construction and federal funds for operation.
These institutions have historically balanced museum exhibition with secure archival storage. Designs have ranged from the modern glass cube of the Clinton Presidential Center to the still-under-construction, multi-building Obama Presidential Center. All, however, have prioritized archival integrity and public education over monumental scale or commercial branding.
It remains unclear whether NARA has formally approved the Trump library’s design or business model. NARA did not respond to a request for comment from Fast Company. The agency’s guidelines typically require libraries to provide “adequate storage, preservation, and public access to the records” of a presidency.
A Building of Contradictions?
The proposal for a gold skyscraper library in Miami presents several contradictions with established presidential library norms. It merges a personal branding motif with a public institution, includes a private-event-sized ballroom in a federal archive, and situates a potential tourist attraction on a college campus.
Bermello Ajamil’s statement calls it “certainly the most iconic and tallest U.S. presidential library in the history of our country,” emphasizing scale and visibility. Whether such a design aligns with the archival and civic purposes of the presidential library system is a question that will likely be debated by historians, architects, and government officials as plans move forward.
All renderings and design details are sourced from the architecture
