Trump reveals first look at his massive $300,000,000 White House ballroom
Donald Trump has unveiled the first glimpse of the new White House ballroom to be built on the site of the building’s wrecked East Wing.
The President has spent the past three months tearing down the historic section of the residence and even digging up a garden named after Jackie Kennedy to make way for his project.
Images released in summer last year show the lavish and very Trumpian interior of the planned 22,000 square foot ballroom, almost glowing with cream paint and gilded chandeliers.
And now Trump has released what he described as the ‘first rendering shown to the Public’ depicting how the extension will look from the outside.
In the post on – where else? – Truth Social, the one-time property developer appears to push back against criticism that the replacement for the East Wing would not be in keeping with the rest of the iconic building.
He wrote: ‘Being an identical height and scale, it is totally in keeping with our historic White House.’
The artist’s impression shows an architectural style similar to the existing parts of the President’s official residence, with a portico featuring eight columns.
A staircase leads down from the portico to a road that runs along the east side of the building, directly opposite the US Treasury.
In his post, Trump wrote: ‘This space will serve our Country well for, hopefully, Centuries into the future!’
It follows new plans for the project unveiled by architect Shalom Baranes in January, after a series of confusing alterations and contradictory designs in recent months.
Baranes revealed the scale of the new extension could require an extra storey to be added to the West Wing, to ‘restore a sense of symmetry around the original central pavilion’.
Once complete, he said the ballroom would be able to accommodate 1,000 seated guests.
The development has attracted significant controversy since the East Wing, traditionally home to the offices of the US First Lady, was initially razed in October last year.
Several preservation groups expressed alarm at the demolition, which was started without a legally required process of public review.
A letter from Dr Carol Quillen, president of the US National Trust for Historic Preservation, highlighted the significance of the work taking place as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary this year.
She wrote: ‘We urge you to take into account the deep reverence that all Americans hold for this iconic place, and to initiate the review process that can ensure the preservation of the historic White House for future generations.’
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