The Developer President Unveils a Presidential Library in the Form of a Skyscraper
A fly-through animation shared by US President Donald Trump reveals the design of Trump's future presidential library, planned for a waterfront site in Miami. Taking the form of a tapered skyscraper, the glassy building is being designed by Miami's Bermello Ajamil.
The video, embedded at the bottom of this article, was posted by Trump and his son, Eric, to social media on Monday, a few days ahead of a meeting in which the National Capital Planning Commission is expected to approve the East Wing Modernization Project, aka the White House ballroom. Unlike that project's neoclassical appearance, in line with the existing White House as well as Trump's executive order mandating traditional architecture for federal buildings, Trump's Presidential Library and Museum is explicitly modern: an obelisk-like tower covered predominantly in dark glass, with a central portion of clear glass rising from a gilded entrance to an illuminated TRUMP sign atop the building.
The interiors are also modern. The video depicts a multi-story space at the base of the tower, akin to a mall or an office building, where the Air Force One gifted to Trump from Qatar sits alongside other aircraft. Women in dresses and men in tuxedos—prevalent throughout the video—ride up and down golden escalators that no doubt reference the the famous ones at Trump Tower. The auditorium, whose design recalls the work of MAD Architects, directs the gaze of those in attendance toward a gold statue of Trump with his fist raised.
Other spaces shown in the video include a trio of White House recreations: the so-called Presidential Walk of Fame, installed in a hallway opposite a video wall depicting what appears to be the Rose Garden before Trump's recent renovation; a recreation of the planned East Wing ballroom, visible behind an angled glass wall; and a recreation of the Oval Office. Although this last piece is typical of presidential libraries, the rest is decidedly atypical—in line with Trump's two terms as president. Curiously, this week's teaser video comes just 14 months into his second term, much earlier than previous presidents. Barack Obama, for instance, didn't reveal designs for his presidential library and museum until May 2017—four months after he left office. This week's reveal of the Trump Presidential Library and Museum comes three months ahead of the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago on June 19th.