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Willy Bermello, the Cuban-American architect and founder of Bermello Ajamil & Partners, is the author of the design proposal for the future Presidential Library of Donald Trump in Miami, a project that includes an obelisk measuring 1,047 feet tall adjacent to the historic Freedom Tower and is already facing lawsuits and significant political controversy.
According to the report by Telemundo 51, Bermello arrived from Cuba when he was just nine years old, with five dollars in his pocket, and passed through the Freedom Tower upon arriving in the United States.
More than 60 years later, that same building is the landmark of what he describes as the most important project of his career.
The design features a 47-story structure, a number chosen symbolically to represent that Trump is the 47th president of the United States.
The project would be built on a 2.6-acre plot in downtown Miami, next to the Freedom Tower, on a lot that was donated to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation for a symbolic price of 10 dollars, despite being valued at approximately 67 million dollars.
"I think it's going to be like an obelisk, like when you arrive in Paris," said Bermello while describing the project's model.
The architect did not obtain the commission through a tender or official invitation. "This was an initiative of mine," he explained.
After reading an article about development permits in Trump Doral that mentioned the name of the Cuban-American lawyer Félix Lasarte, who was responsible for scouting locations for the library, Bermello arranged a meeting through mutual contacts and proposed to develop the design on his own and with his own resources.
"I am a dreamer. I am like a hunter. I do not wait for clients to come to me; I go to the clients," he stated.
The path eventually led him to the Oval Office. Trump's team made two specific requests: to incorporate an Air Force One into the project and to add more golden elements.
"I know that the president really likes gold, although it's not necessarily my personal taste," he commented with laughter.
The plan involves disassembling the aircraft, transporting it in parts, and assembling it inside the building. The design also includes a replica of the Oval Office, exhibits of Marine One, the presidential limousine known as "The Beast," and a theater for conferences and presidential debates.
Trump asked him directly, "Why should I accept a three-acre property in Downtown Miami when I've been offered 30 acres in Boca Raton?"
Bermello's response was decisive: "Wherever you build your library, people will visit it. But here, next to the Tower of Freedom, Bayside, and the Port of Miami, more people will come than to any other presidential library in the country."
For Bermello, the project holds personal significance that transcends architecture. The design includes transforming Sixth Street into a pedestrian corridor and establishing a physical and symbolic connection between the two buildings. "The tower is the museum of the Cuban exile. The library would be the museum of Trump's legacy," he explained.
The initiative faces strong opposition. In May 2026, residents of Miami filed a federal lawsuit arguing that the land transfer violates the domestic emoluments clause of the Constitution, as it represents a financial benefit for a sitting president.
Critics also point out that the project includes hotel, office, and commercial components, which moves it away from the traditional model of a presidential library.
Bermello rejects those criticisms. "It has nothing to do with the Tower of Freedom. It has to do with Donald J. Trump," he stated about the opposition to the project, and he assured that the construction will be entirely funded with private money.
"Particularly for young people, this story demonstrates the power of an idea and the importance of never stopping dreaming," the architect concluded.
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