The Freedom Tower, a 75-year-old architectural landmark and enduring symbol of resilience in the face of adversity, looms large over Miami's skyline. Built in 1925, the sixteen-story stucco office tower is a prime example of Spanish Renaissance revival style, and is said to be modeled after the Giralda Tower in Seville, Spain.

The engineering firm of Donnell Duquesne & Albaisa was selected to deal with the many structural challenges faced by the building because of its severely deteriorated condition. Early, primitive concrete construction methods had sowed the seeds of destruction within the building's columns, beams and soffits. DD&A tapped Structural Preservation Systems, Inc. (SPS), a national contractor specializing in structural concrete repair and strengthening, to perform the challenging structural repairs required.

Beam repairs were also required throughout the Freedom Tower structure, including concrete-encased I-beams on certain floors. As with the columns, many beams required full-depth replacement. Some were enlarged to withstand the additional load-bearing requirements via the use of MBrace(R), a composite strengthening system made up of a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic material that is far stronger than steel.

The Freedom Tower restoration is expected to be completed in Fall 2001.