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BumRushDaShow

(168,440 posts)
Thu Mar 5, 2026, 07:42 AM 5 hrs ago

Trump's White House ballroom is too big, architect says, as 2nd panel prepares to vote on it

Source: AP

Updated 8:06 PM EST, March 4, 2026


WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump ’s White House ballroom project is way too big and should be scaled back, an architect and member of the board of the National Trust for Historic Preservation said Wednesday — one of a number of changes he has suggested for a project he says could permanently alter the nation’s most recognizable historic home.

David Scott Parker, a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects whose firm specializes in residential design and historic preservation, shared his views with The Associated Press as a key federal agency, the National Capital Planning Commission, prepared to meet Thursday to vote on whether to approve the 90,000-square-foot (8,361-square-meter) project. A separate federal panel, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, approved the project at its February meeting.

“Everything here feels inflated,” said Parker, who has been an architect for more than 35 years. “The net effect of this is to adversely impact what is the most important historic — the most identifiable historic — house in the entire United States. This is permanent, what it will do to the White House.”

Trump announced last summer he would be add a ballroom to the White House, citing the need for space other than a tent on the lawn to entertain important guests. He demolished the East Wing in October with little warning and underground construction to prepare the site has been underway since then. White House officials have said above-ground construction would not start before April, at the earliest.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/trump-ballroom-white-house-east-wing-66753cd005193ac190e3702bd7353c0b

11 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Trump's White House ballroom is too big, architect says, as 2nd panel prepares to vote on it (Original Post) BumRushDaShow 5 hrs ago OP
remove the little child rapist Whip-poor-will 5 hrs ago #1
Trump needs a room for his balls? ProudMNDemocrat 5 hrs ago #2
Grossly inflated Blue Dotty 5 hrs ago #3
Who cares? It's not our money. truthisfreedom 5 hrs ago #4
Someone should have thought about this before tearing down the East Wing. sop 4 hrs ago #5
By that measure, Trump's ballroom could be 47% smaller -- or no bigger than 15,000 square feet (1,394 square meters), he riversedge 4 hrs ago #6
He's been waiting to hear "It's too big" his entire, limp-dick life. Aristus 4 hrs ago #7
Parker said his other main concern is that the addition would stick out just enough so that it impedes the line of sight riversedge 3 hrs ago #8
"Everything here feels inflated .." Bo Zarts 3 hrs ago #9
Ballrooming MAGAs--snicker snicker... RedWhiteBlueIsRacist 3 hrs ago #10
Mushroom compensation Marcuse 2 hrs ago #11

Whip-poor-will

(72 posts)
1. remove the little child rapist
Thu Mar 5, 2026, 08:13 AM
5 hrs ago

In the future it will be refereed to as the trump carbuncle on the White House

truthisfreedom

(23,525 posts)
4. Who cares? It's not our money.
Thu Mar 5, 2026, 08:34 AM
5 hrs ago

Just tear it down the instant we regain the White House. And announce that every single day until November. Announce that if we regain the house and enough of the Senate we will disassemble the epstein ballroom the moment l’orange is impeached.

riversedge

(80,412 posts)
6. By that measure, Trump's ballroom could be 47% smaller -- or no bigger than 15,000 square feet (1,394 square meters), he
Thu Mar 5, 2026, 09:03 AM
4 hrs ago

well, trumpy is always talking of HIS Big Beautiful Ballroom--the BBB.
Every inch will be contested IMHO.



..........The ballroom itself takes up about 22,000 square feet (2,043 square meters) of the total space, and Parker said that is far larger than needed for the 1,000 guests Trump has said it would accommodate. The industry standard for a ballroom allots 15 square feet (1.4 square meters) per person, Parker said. By that measure, Trump’s ballroom could be 47% smaller — or no bigger than 15,000 square feet (1,394 square meters), he said.

The proposal includes a 4,000-square-foot (372 square meters), south-facing porch and staircase. Parker said these are unnecessary since they don’t provide guests with direct access to the interior of the building. He said the porch doesn’t comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The White House said Wednesday that the ballroom will comply with the federal law requiring accommodations for people with disabilities, but did not provide further comment on Parker’s critique.

The proposed portico is significantly larger than the portico on the south side of the White House and the south side of the Treasury Department building nearby. ...........................

riversedge

(80,412 posts)
8. Parker said his other main concern is that the addition would stick out just enough so that it impedes the line of sight
Thu Mar 5, 2026, 09:55 AM
3 hrs ago

Parker said his other main concern is that the addition would stick out just enough so that it impedes the line of sight along Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and the Capitol as it was purposely designed hundreds of years ago by Pierre L’Enfant, who was hired by George Washington to lay out the U.S. capital.

“It’s hard to fathom that ... one addition could have so many adverse impacts, symbolically, architecturally and historically,” Parker said. “This literally violates the Founding Fathers’ intentions.”

Parker is listed among more than 100 people registered to speak at Thursday’s commission meeting, which is scheduled to be conducted online, according to the agency’s website. Thousands of people submitted comments in advance and many were opposed to Trump’s project




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