Iconic Miami: The Freedom Tower

The Freedom Tower was originally called The Miami News Tower, and served as the headquarters of the city’s oldest newspaper, The Miami News. For 32 years its Pulitzer prize-winning reporters had a front row view to some of Miami’s most pivotal moments, including the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 (which left the tower tilting), the development of South Beach’s Art Deco District across the bay and the sprouting of skyscrapers all around it as Downtown Miami reached new heights.

When South Florida developers desired a distinguished facade, they tapped Schultze and Weaver. During the 1920s, this esteemed New York architecture firm created some of the Gold Coast’s most iconic Mediterranean revival-style edifices such as The Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach and The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables before going on to design The Waldorf Astoria in New York. Their design for The Freedom Tower was inspired by the Giralda bell tower in Seville and features unique Spanish, Italian, and Moorish details. At 289-feet tall, it was the tallest building in the South for a brief moment, with such a unique shape that ships used it as a navigation point.

The Freedom Tower had always been a welcoming beacon for cargo ships and ferry passengers, but in the 1960s it took on a deeply symbolic role for newly arrived Cubans seeking political asylum. From 1962 to 1974, hundreds of thousands of Cubans passed through its halls to be processed and documented by the federal government and to receive medical help and relief aid through the Cuban Assistance Center. They called the building el refugio, “the refuge,” as it was a safe space for them to receive the support they needed to relaunch their lives in America.

In 2005, the building was donated to Miami-Dade College and has become a cultural landmark in the city. Located on the first floor, the MDC Special Collections include the Kislak Center, which explores Pre-Columbian civilizations in the Americas through the exposition of thousands of ancient objects and artifacts; the Exile Experience, dedicated to the force and impact of the diasporic communities in Miami; and the Cuban Legacy gallery, which showcases artists of Cuban descent. The Freedom Tower is also home to MDC’s Cultural Affairs Department and the offices of the Miami Book Fair, Miami Film Festival and MDC Live Arts.

The Freedom Tower also houses the Museum of Art and Design, Miami Dade College’s contemporary art museum dedicated to visual expression. Whereas the first floor of The Freedom Tower takes a critical and appreciative look at the past, the second floor pushes visual boundaries through its exhibitions. Herein lies the Museum of Art and Design, which explores the intersections of art and design with cultural action. While the museum is currently closed for essential renovations, you can still experience MOAD as a “Museum without Boundaries” through its programs around the city.