Construction is set to begin next month on a massive 90,000-square-foot ballroom at the White House — part of Donald Trump’s bid to leave a golden imprint on 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. For The National, CBC’s Eli Glasner breaks down the president’s changes to the property.

Northwest Washington

Significant changes are underway at the White House under President Donald Trump, with a focus on opulent gold-themed interior redesigns and large-scale architectural additions. The Oval Office and other areas now feature gold picture frames, molding, and elaborate decorative elements, with critics describing the new style as 'gaudy' and 'tacky.'

Externally, Trump has added new flagpoles and replaced the Rose Garden's grass with stone, citing practical reasons for the change. The most ambitious project is a proposed 90,000-square-foot ballroom, which would be one of the largest additions to the White House in its history. The American Institute of Architects has expressed concern about the scale and public nature of these changes, emphasizing that the White House is a national symbol rather than a private residence.

Rating Trump's golden White House makeover

Have you seen what's happening at the White House? I don't mean the politics. I mean on the walls. And the lawn. Something that holds a big spot in American history and culture just being literally paved over. And Trump isn't finished. The White House State Ballroom will be a much-needed, an exquisite addition of approximately 90,000 total square feet. Dramatic changes for a building so recognizable it's almost its own movie star. Here we are. Wow. Cremolated molding. Love it. Especially the place where the president works. It has to represent the continuity of the executive branch, but it also has to yield to the personal needs and tastes of each administration. Linda Matisse-Brandt is an art history professor in South Carolina. The Oval Office is especially iconic, and it's in the name. It is an oval. Welcome to the Oval Office. Come on in. As President Biden explained to Architectural Digest, each president makes the office their own. I chose the things that sort of represent why I got into public life to begin with. But as Trump began his second term, the oval went from this to this. Unfortunately, I think we must talk about the incredibly unfortunate redesign. Tommy Langdon Herter is an interior designer and content creator. How would you describe the walls and the decor of the Oval Office now, Tommy? To be direct, it's pretty gaudy and it's pretty tacky. I think one thing in design in particular, one thing you're always thinking about is, where is the eye going and where is it landing? And I'd say the Oval Office right now, it's one of those spaces where your eye doesn't have anywhere to land. As a preservationist who appreciates the White House's neoclassical style, Brandt says Trump has made some dramatic changes. He has been aggressive, and that's not surprising. I mean, this is someone who has made their reputation internationally as a real estate developer. Definitely more than any president in my lifetime, but probably since FDR, the public has a better sense of what his taste is than any other president. I don't know what kind of chairs or style of architecture President Obama likes, right? But when it comes to the current president, Trump likes gold. Gold picture frames, molding, cherubs, even the crest on the ceiling. According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump flew a cabinetmaker who had worked at Mar-a-Lago on Air Force One to the White House for the golden touches. The only question is, will I gold-leaf the corners? With the gilding and all these decals that are getting added, it's completely rejecting the actual design of the Oval Office and the overall White House itself. And as far as the gilding, he's gold-leafing everything that is raced. How do you feel about that, Lydia? Oh, I don't know. I mean, this is a democracy. We will have another president, and I doubt we will ever have a president who likes gold as much as Donald Trump. On the exterior, Trump has already left his mark. Well, a few. Erecting two new flagpoles. And then there's the Rose Garden. Are you paving over the grass here? What was happening is it's supposed to have events. Every event you have, it's soaking wet. It's soaking wet, and people can't. And the women with the high heels, it's just too much. So gone is the grass, replaced by what Trump calls gorgeous stone. It's sad to see something like that go. It's even sadder to see it replaced with just a slab of pavement. I mean, how do you feel about these dramatic changes that he says he's going to be able to do within a few years? Which is extremely ambitious, and it'll be very interesting to see if that's possible. The ballroom would be the biggest change to the White House complex that's visible, that's architectural. A few days before Trump was seen on the roof surveying the White House grounds, the administration announced plans to build a 90,000-square-foot ballroom, making it larger than a football field and a significant change to the White House footprint. Currently, you'll notice the East Wing and the West Wing of the White House are really low structures, whereas this ballroom is, it's like the same height. It's just as imposing. It's bigger than the main structure of the White House. But as Professor Brandt points out, as America has evolved, so has the White House. The iconic porticos, or pillars, added after the War of 1812, the East Wing built in 1942 to accommodate the growing war government. What will be interesting about this ballroom especially, and I think if Trump is successful in building it, it'll be a space that is really associated with him. For Herter, the changes symbolize something bigger. How he's imposing choices, it's overwhelming, and it's similar to what they're doing everywhere else. Flood the zone, right? Flood the zone, do 100 executive orders, because who could possibly have time to go through them all or communicate that to the public? With construction slated to start in September, the American Institute of Architects has already issued a statement expressing concern about the massive changes, saying in part, the White House is not a private building. 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is the people's house.

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Los Angeles

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Las Vegas

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Kyiv

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Nashville

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Breakdown