US president Donald Trump’s vision of building a grand ballroom on the site of the White House’s demolished East Wing easily cleared its first major administrative hurdle on Thursday (19 February), as the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) approved designs for the project at both the conceptual and final stage, leapfrogging the usual process. The seven-person commission, made up entirely of Trump loyalists and current administration officials, voted six-to-zero in favour of pushing through the project so that it will not return for any further review (the ballroom’s original architect James McCrery, the commission’s vice president, recused himself).
The commission’s decision largely disregarded the thousands of public comments about the project, which were “overwhelmingly in opposition—over 99%” and came from across the country and all levels of professional experience, said Thomas Luebke, the commission’s secretary, who has served since 2005. “The general comments were that they were concerned about the illegal demolition without permits or oversight, inappropriate scale that will dwarf the White House, the violation of historic preservation principles, a lack of transparency in funding and contracting and a fundamental miscarriage of democratic principles,” he said.
One example he summarised during the meeting stated: “The White House stands not only as a residence of the for the nation’s chief executive, but as an enduring emblem of the of democratic restraint, architectural elegance and the collective will of the people for over two centuries, its neoclassical facade, designed by James Hoban, and designed through careful evolutions, has symbolised a government of modesty and accessibility, unadorned by the gilded excesses of monarchies past.”
The proposal to build a “sprawling new ballroom at a staggering cost of up to $400m threatens to unravel this sacred thread”, the commenter continued, and the hasty demolition of the East Wing “represents an affront to our heritage, a circumvention of democratic processes and a misallocation of resources that could better serve the republic. It must be halted, lest we permit hubris to overshadow humility in the heart of our nation’s capital.”
Luebke also mentioned the many preservation and historic heritage groups that had reached out to the CFA about the ballroom project, among them the National Mall Coalition. “The ballroom seems to shout power, Roman Empire,” a coalition statement reads in part. “The White House, with its curvilinear south porch, is simply more Roman Republic, as was intended, as it should be. The destruction of the old East Wing without concern for rules and laws governing public consultation speaks for itself, a disregard for the public’s rightful role in decision making, design review and our public buildings and lands as a sacred trust.” The coalition asked the CFA to defer its approval to allow the lawsuits brought against the project to proceed. “Please do not set a precedent that will be difficult, if not impossible, to overturn. We ask you to await the decision of the courts and not support further breach of public trust.”
One of the few comments in favour of the project pointed to the White House as a symbol for how the US is perceived on the world stage. “Other countries have massive and elegant meeting rooms for dinners and formal events. We have a tent or the small dining room at the upper level of the state department,” the commenter stated. “Modernisation, to have America be competitive in the eyes of world leaders, is not a bad thing. From what I’ve researched, this new White House wing will contain meeting rooms, the First Lady’s office, guest quarters and the ballroom will facilitate security during events, be cost effective and, I believe, will be a credit to future generations.”
The CFA members had an opportunity to share their thoughts about the project, and all who spoke supported it. Mary Anne Carter, the chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, said the decision to remove a triangular pediment from the design for the south end of the ballroom “was a really good move. I think that really helps to restore some balance and make it look just more aligned.” The newly appointed commissioner Chamberlain R. Harris, who currently serves as deputy director of Oval Office operations at the White House, said: “This is sort of like the greatest country in the world. It’s the greatest house in the world, and we want it to be sort of the greatest ballroom in the world.” Responding to public concerns about the size of the ballroom, Harris added that the design for a structure that would fit 1,000 people “isn’t that big by ballroom standards” and that “with the removal of the pediment, I think the size is consistent with the [White House] residence.”
Wrapping up the commissioners’ comments, the chairman Rodney Mims Cook, Jr, who served on the CFA during Trump’s first term, said: “Americans do have short memories, and the president’s house has been adjusted many, many times.” He gave examples of previous presidential renovations of the historic structure, including the gutting of the main residence during Henry Truman’s terms in office, from 1948 and 1952. “This would not be likely allowed today by the current standards of the National Trust and other government bodies,” Cook said. He added that an update was “desperately needed” because of security concerns with the old East Wing.
When it came time to vote on the design, there was some confusion among the commission members about the process, with Luebke explaining that normally, the project would return for a final review. But the commission members chose to circumvent that process and approve the current conceptual design as the final stage. The ballroom will next be reviewed by the National Capital Planning Commission, which is also largely led by Trump appointees, on 5 March. Public comments are currently open for that meeting, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which has filed a lawsuit against the East Wing’s demolition and the ballroom’s fast-tracked construction, is urging the public to speak up. “The American people deserve an opportunity to provide comment and shape the project,” says Carol Quillen, the National Trust’s president and chief executive.
