Freedom Tower | |
.jpg) Freedom Tower in 2017 | |
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| Location | Miami,Florida, U.S. |
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| Coordinates | 25°46′48″N80°11′23″W / 25.78000°N 80.18972°W /25.78000; -80.18972 |
| Built | 1925[2] |
| Architect | George A. Fuller, Schultze & Weaver[2][1] |
| Architectural style | Spanish Renaissance Revival[2] |
| NRHP reference No. | 79000665[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | September 10, 1979 |
| Designated NHL | October 6, 2008 |
TheFreedom Tower (Spanish:Torre de la Libertad) is a building inMiami,Florida. It was designed bySchultze and Weaver and is currently used as a contemporary art museum and a central office to different disciplines in the arts associated withMiami Dade College. It is located at 600Biscayne Boulevard on Miami Dade College's Wolfson Campus.
On September 10, 1979, Freedom Tower was added to theU.S.National Register of Historic Places. On October 6, 2008, it was designated a U.S.National Historic Landmark for its role in hostingCubans as they fled communistCuba for Florida following the 1959Cuban Revolution.[3][4] On April 18, 2012, theAIA's Florida Chapter placed the building on its list ofFlorida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places as the "Freedom Tower/Formerly Miami News and Metropolis Building".[5]
Freedom Tower is served by theMiami Metrorail at theGovernment Center Station and theHistoric Overtown/Lyric Theatre station, as well as by theMetromover at theFreedom Tower station on the Omni Loop.
Originally completed in 1925 as the headquarters and printing facility for the newspaperThe Miami News, the Freedom Tower is an example of a Mediterranean Revival styled structure with design elements borrowed from theGiralda inSeville,Spain. Itscupola on a 255-foot (78 m) tower contained a decorative beacon.
TheUnited States government used the facility in the 1960s to process and document refugees from theCuban Revolution and to provide medical and dental services for them. After the major era of refugees ended, in 1972, the federal government sold the building to private buyers in 1974. In 1979, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[6]
The New World Mural 1513 was painted in 1988 by The Miami Artisans: Wade S. Foy, John Conroy, William Mark Coulthard, Phylis Shaw, Gerome Villa Bergsen and Ana Bikic. The mural is situated in the Grand Hall on the second floor, however, it sometimes has limited access for the public. The mural is a recreation of the ruined original from 1926, originally commissioned by the tower's developerJames M. Cox in 1926 and again in 1987 by architect Richard Hiessenbottle RA. The center poem is byEdwin Markham,poet laureate for the Lincoln Memorial address.
In 1997, the building was purchased for US$4.1 million by the family of the prominent Cuban-American businessman and anti-CommunistJorge Mas Canosa. The Mas family then restored the tower to its original state and converted it into a memorial to the refugees who fled to the United States from Cuba. It housed amuseum,library,meeting hall, and the offices of the Cuban American National Foundation. Salsa legendCelia Cruz was memorialized at the Freedom Tower upon her death in 2003, with more than 200,000 turning out to show their respects.[7]
In 2005, Terra Group father and son Pedro and David Martin, along with 600 Biscayne LLC and its members purchased the Freedom Tower from the Mas Family. This purchase eventually led to the Freedom Tower being donated to Miami Dade College, under the leadership of Miami-Dade College President Dr. Eduardo Padron. As part of the donation agreement, the College was required to create a Cuban exile experience, and today it is used as a museum, cultural center, and education center.
The building has a heavy history and is reinventing itself once again as it lends itself to a new purpose. The building is gaining a significant amount of local recognition for its major exhibitions and growth as an institution of art, serving the community as a non-profit organization. The MDC Museum of Art + Design is on the second floor of the building and offers a wide range of exhibits, which are free and open to the public. The Freedom Tower is home to the Cuban American Museum.
On April 13, 2015, Cuban-American Florida SenatorMarco Rubio chose the Freedom Tower as the venue for the announcement of his presidential campaign, citing the significance of the location as a beacon representing freedom for Cuban-Americans.
On September 17, 2015, His Majesty The King of Spain,Felipe VI, received the Presidential Medal, the highest distinction from Miami Dade College, from its president, Eduardo Padron.[8]
On May 10, 2022, Gov.Ron DeSantis announced a $25 million investment to preserve, refurbish and enhance the Freedom Tower. The proposal will be considered during the upcoming legislative session, and will be included in Governor DeSantis’ legislative budget recommendation.[9]
In 2025, PresidentDonald Trump announced plans for theDonald J. Trump Presidential Library to be built adjacent to the Freedom Tower on land owned byMiami Dade College. The Florida executive office gifted the 2.63 acre parcel to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation.[10][11][12]
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| Preceded by | Tallest Building in Miami 1925–1928 78 m | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Tallest Building in Florida 1925–1926 78 m | Succeeded by |
Authority control databases: Geographic |
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