Newly released renderings of Donald Trump\u2019s planned presidential library in downtown Miami depict a towering, gilded monument that leans heavily into spectacle as an outsized tribute to the 47th president.<\/p>\n
A 100-second video<\/a> Trump\u2019s son, Eric, posted online last week shows a glass skyscraper rising over Biscayne Bay, capped by a red, white and blue spire with \u201cTRUMP\u201d written in large, gold lettering near the top.<\/p>\n The structure, designed by Coral Gables-based Bermello Ajamil & Partners<\/a>, appears designed to dominate the skyline, standing well above nearby buildings and landmarks, including the historic, 17-story Freedom Tower<\/a> it is to rise beside.<\/p>\n The aesthetics inside similarly echo Trump\u2019s signature opulence. Visitors are to be greeted by a grand, gold-accentuated entrance with a full-scale Air Force One as its centerpiece. Two escalators, also rendered in gold, represent a visual callback to Trump\u2019s 2016 campaign launch.<\/p>\n The building\u2019s interior includes several large spaces. There\u2019s a large auditorium where a towering golden statue of Trump stands onstage with his fist raised, recalling famous photos<\/a> taken after a failed assassination attempt on his life in July 2024. A similar effigy stands above the building\u2019s blocky entryway.<\/p>\n Elsewhere, the renderings show replicas of the Oval Office and Rose Garden, along with a sprawling ballroom modeled after Trump\u2019s planned White House expansion<\/a>. In another capacious room, visitors stand feet from fighter jets.<\/p>\n Digital screens line the building\u2019s exterior and appear to be replaying Trump\u2019s campaign rally speeches. There\u2019s also a multistory digital display of Trump on the backdrop of a U.S. flag with the phrase \u201cMake America Proud Again\u201d written above him.<\/p>\n Roughly a third of the way up the building sits a rooftop green space. The top third of the building appears occupied by offices.<\/p>\n Notably absent from the preview: traditional hallmarks of a research library, such as visible book stacks or archival workspaces. At least some of the renderings appear to have been done with artificial intelligence, based on garbled, unintelligible lettering seen in some shots \u2014 a dependable tell<\/a> for so-called \u201cAI art.\u201d<\/p>\n Eric Trump, who helped spearhead the project and leads the foundation behind it<\/a>, praised the concept as a fitting and lasting tribute to his father.<\/p>\n \u201cOver the past six months, I have poured my heart and soul into this project with my incredible team,\u201d he said in a statement. \u201cThis landmark on the water in Miami, Florida will stand as a lasting testament to an amazing man, an amazing developer, and the greatest President our Nation has ever known.\u201d<\/p>\n The library is slated for a 2.6-acre parcel<\/a> along Biscayne Boulevard \u2014 land that became the subject of one of South Florida\u2019s most contentious political battles in 2025.<\/p>\n Miami Dade College\u2019s Board of Trustees voted last year to transfer<\/a> the valuable waterfront property to the state, which then passed it to the Trump library foundation at no cost.<\/p>\n Critics argued the college improperly rushed the initial vote<\/a>, potentially violating Florida\u2019s Sunshine Law. A lawsuit temporarily halted<\/a> the transfer, with a judge siding with opponents, most notably retired professor and local historian Marvin Dunn, who said the public had not been adequately notified.<\/p>\n But after the board held a second, more transparent vote<\/a> in December, the court dismissed the case<\/a>, allowing the deal to proceed.<\/p>\n Debate also centered on the land\u2019s value, estimated at more than $67 million and potentially far higher on the open market, and on polling that showed broad local opposition to giving it away.<\/p>\n Florida Politics ranked the controversy as the sixth-biggest political story in South Florida for 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n Polling in October found 74% of Miami-Dade County voters oppose<\/a> giving the land away for the library rather than keeping it for future expansions to the public college. That included 69% of Democratic, third- and no-party voters, and 29% of Republicans.<\/p>\n Miami isn\u2019t the only South Florida locale to receive a Trump makeover; Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed legislation<\/a> to rename Palm Beach International Airport as Donald J. Trump International Airport.<\/p>\n