Trump Tower Opens on Fifth Avenue

A Monument to Self-Promotion

Trump Tower opened in late 1983 at 725 Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, rising 58 stories above one of the most famous shopping streets in the world. The building, designed by Der Scutt of Swanke Hayden Connell & Partners, featured a distinctive saw-toothed facade of dark glass and brass-colored aluminum. Its six-story public atrium, lined with pink Breccia Pernice marble and featuring an 80-foot indoor waterfall, was designed to project an aura of extreme luxury.

The building was a mixed-use development combining retail space on the lower floors, office space in the middle, and luxury condominiums on the upper floors. Trump himself took the top three floors for his personal penthouse, which he decorated in a style heavy on gilt, marble, and mirrors. He would live and work there for decades, and the building’s lobby would later become the backdrop for his 2015 presidential campaign announcement.

The Business Model

Trump Tower was a commercial success that demonstrated Trump’s skill at marketing luxury real estate to wealthy buyers eager to associate themselves with the Trump name. Apartments sold for premium prices. Early buyers included prominent figures from entertainment, business, and international circles. The building’s retail atrium attracted high-end tenants and became a tourist destination in its own right.

The project also showcased Trump’s ability to extract public subsidies for private development. He secured a tax abatement from New York City for the project, a move that generated criticism from those who argued that a luxury tower on Fifth Avenue hardly needed taxpayer support. The abatement was estimated to save Trump tens of millions of dollars over its duration.

Cultural Significance

Trump Tower became more than a building; it was the physical manifestation of the Trump brand. Its gold-toned lobby, its prominent Fifth Avenue address, and its owner’s relentless self-promotion turned it into a symbol of 1980s wealth and ambition. Trump used the building as a stage, conducting business meetings, press events, and media interviews from its gleaming interior.

The building would go on to play a central role in American political history. It served as the headquarters for Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, the site of his controversial meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya in June 2016, and the location of numerous transition meetings after his election. For better or worse, Trump Tower became one of the most recognized buildings in the United States, inseparable from its creator’s outsize public persona.