Historic preservation group fears ballroom annex will overwhelm White House

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit chartered by Congress to further the historic preservation policy in the U.S., has written a letter urging the Trump administration to pause the demolition of the East Wing of the White House until a review of President Trump’s ballroom plans is completed. 

The letter, sent Tuesday and addressed to the National Capital Planning Commission, National Park Service and Commission of Fine Arts, voices concern about the size of the ballroom annex — that “the proposed new construction will overwhelm the White House itself.”

The Trust has no statutory authority to compel the Trump administration to halt construction. 

“We respectfully urge the Administration and the National Park Service to pause demolition until plans for the proposed ballroom go through the legally required public review processes, including consultation and review by the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts, and to invite comment from the public,” it says.

Last week, the Society of Architectural Historians raised similar concerns about the size of the ballroom and its impact on White House grounds. 

And in August, a letter from the American Institute of Architects also focused on the ballroom’s size. “The proposed 90,000-square-foot addition raises concerns regarding scale and balance. The design absolutely must harmonize with the White House’s existing architectural proportions.”

The Society of Architectural Historians and the American Institute of Architects may make recommendations but have no statutory role in the design or construction of the ballroom. 

The White House has not responded to the concerns raised by the three groups, but in a statement Tuesday made reference to “manufactured outrage, unhinged leftists and their Fake News allies” who it said “are clutching their pearls over President Donald J. Trump’s visionary addition of a grand, privately funded ballroom to the White House.”

The statement also said the ballroom would “significantly increase the White House’s capacity to host major functions honoring world leaders, foreign nations, and other dignitaries.”