Serious unsolicited proposal: a classical ‘parti’ for the projected Donald J. Trump Presidential Library. Partial elevation of a three part design based on Beaux Arts and eclectic Palm Beach details.

One of the final edicts Donald Trump issued, and the only one concerning building construction and architecture, was Executive Order 83739 on Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture dated Dec. 21, 2020. President Biden quickly overturned this one, as with most of Trump’s Orders from his term.

The Order argues that public architecture should be beautiful.
The Purpose of the Order, in Section 1 begins by harkening to historical precedent. Starting from the 1309 constitution of the City of Siena in Italy: “whoever rules the City must have the beauty of the City as his foremost preoccupation . . . because it must provide pride, honor, wealth, and growth to the Sienese citizens, as well as pleasure and happiness to visitors from abroad.” Three centuries later, the great British Architect Sir Christopher Wren declared that “public buildings are the ornament of a country. Architecture establishes a Nation, draws people and commerce, makes the people love their native country . . . Architecture aims at eternity”

The order was rectifying a too often repeated problem of often brutalist or banal contemporary commercial architecture in Federal work by encouraging instead “stunningly, classically, beautiful (buildings), befitting a world power and source of freedom”, — this quote from a statement issued by American First Caucus, from the House Republicans

To change the course back to ‘originalist’ architecture, so to speak, the Order encouraged classical and traditional design, and for the District of Columbia it was to be the default architecture. In effect, much of the wording in the edict concerns the public’s perception of what the United States government stands for and the need to be proud of its accomplishments.

Not to be allowed was design that “subverts the traditional values of architecture through such features as fragmentation, disorder, discontinuity, distortion, skewed geometry, and the appearance of instability.” Included is Brutalist modern architecture characterized by a “rigid geometric style and large-scale use of exposed poured concrete.”
Trump’s orders were actually ‘inclusionary’ to some degree, in that the “GSA should seek input from the future users of applicable public buildings and the general public in the community where such buildings will be located before selecting an architectural firm or design style.” In addition, Federal buildings should “respect regional architectural heritage.”

Trump’s commercial buildings, when he was a full time developer, used mostly Modern style architecture. Mr. Trump may finally elect to build a modernist design for his library but I have decided to base the conceptual architectural design for the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library in a classical idiom reflecting Greek and Roman origins, and as further embellished by 18th through 19th century beaux arts classicism.

Depending on the anticipated area/size and site, the proposed section illustrated can be the central element or side view, as a minimum.

If the side, the main façade would incorporate more sculptural detail and a slightly different cadence of windows, arches, columns, etc. The first and second floors have an undulating geometry and project beyond the second and third floors.

An idea for a longer elevation would be incorporating a frieze running along the perimeter describing the president’s thinking and achievements during an anticipated two terms.
The motif of a center element with attached wings was used by Palladio in his Villas on the Veneto. The inspiration for that Renaissance architect’s suburban villas was probably the Vatican courtyard.

The general ordering for the floor plan of the central block is that offices, book and memorabilia stores, auditoria, lecture halls, educational and work areas would be located on the first two floors around the perimeter of a 3 to 4 story sunken central atrium where large exhibits, jumbo screens, large statues, and kinetic works of art would be displayed.

Double central classical staircases, similar to that of the Paris opera, would grace the atrium.

The wings could include a large multipurpose speaking or entertainment arena, and a flanking educational center on the other side. I am speaking speculatively of projected functions as I do not know the exact program in mind.

As for the exterior architecture, the first two floors are based on a Beaux Arts composition consisting of paired columns, arched windows, aedicules, modillions, pedestals, and other classical details. The proportions and cadence are based on the Renaissance principle of symmetry (via Leonardo’s sketch of the Vitruvian Man), rhythm, and continuity.

The upper 2 exterior and central areas are intended to reflect the western and southern European architectural influences in southern Florida and Mr. Trump’s current residence in Palm Beach.

The Palm Beach geographic area contains an exotic and eclectic mix of historic architectural features in many of the private and public buildings.

The central and tallest element of the three-part design will have symmetrical outer pavilions joined to the main block with colonnades. ‘hyphens’.

The floors above the central building are set back to allow an upper open promenade on the perimeter.

The large windows must be reinforced as they are designed to let in a good amount of natural light.

The height to the peak of the pediment is about 95 feet. The total area is estimated at 175,000 to 275,000 square feet, depending on the projected use and activities.
This building is projected to have a steel or preferably all concrete trabeated structure with CMU reinforced block walls on which stone and concrete panels, stucco moldings and other details will naturally adhere.

Unlike other detracting designs, the only reference to the name Trump will be the letter ‘T’ within the center lower monument.