White House begins demolishing part of East Wing for Trump ballroom

Part of the East Wing of the White House was demolished as construction of US President Donald Trump’s new ballroom began.

On Monday, construction crews demolished huge chunks of the covered entryway and windows in the East Wing, which Trump said has been “completely modernized.”

The president has previously said his $250 million (£186 million) White House ballroom addition would be “close” to the existing structure but would not replace it.

“It will not interfere with the existing building. It won’t. It will be near but not touching it, and it will fully respect the existing building, which I am the biggest fan of,” Trump said in July. “My favorite place. My favorite place. I love it.”

Trump announced the construction in a social media post, saying the “foundation has been laid” for the “much needed” ballroom space.

“For over 150 years, every President has dreamed of having a Ballroom in the White House to host people for large parties, State Visits, etc.,” he wrote.

He said the project was privately funded by “many generous Patriots.” Their identities are still unclear, as the White House has not released any names as to who financed this.

The White House has served as the historic home of the US president for two centuries. The East Wing was built in 1902 and was last replaced in 1942.

The BBC saw a lot of large construction equipment from the south side of the building near the East Wing, some adorned with US flags.

Trump wrote in his post that although the East Wing is connected to the main structure, it is “completely separate” from the White House.

The gated entryway, which covers most of the south side of the East Wing, appeared to have been gutted, with concrete debris and metal cables clearly visible from several hundred meters away.

Although the White House and adjacent parks are managed by the National Park Service (NPS), the president generally has broad powers to carry out renovations.

Robert K Sutton, former chief historian of the NPS, told the BBC there was always public concern when construction of the White House began.

“Since the White House was built, there have been discussions about what’s going on with the White House,” he said.

NPS has guidelines and a strict review process for all types of construction. This includes things like reviewing in-depth plans for a project, vetting the architect, reviewing designs and costs.

This – he said – has not been done here.

“This building is very important. I think it is considered the most important administrative building in the world, but we don’t know what it is and I think that is very inappropriate.”

Mr Sutton said figures were floating around about how many people the new ballroom could accommodate, ranging from 600 to 900. The fact that the building houses the US president and is extremely secure, and additional measures aimed at protecting against possible terrorist attacks increases concerns.

The White House has released some information about the project, including renderings showing its scale and a new interior that includes seating for hundreds and decadent gold chandeliers.

It was stated that construction will begin in September and that Trump met with officials from the National Parks Service and the US Secret Service about the project.

The Trump administration said it chose Clark Construction to lead the project, which McCrery Architects will design. The White House said the Secret Service would “provide necessary security improvements and modifications” to the building.

“I am honored that President Trump commissioned me to deliver this beautiful and necessary renovation to the Public House while preserving the elegance and historic significance of its classic design,” said Jim McCrery, president of McCrery Architects.

Sutton noted that an extensive review process is often applied to such projects to ensure that any changes are functional and remain true to the iconic look of the White House, noting that these changes will outlive presidents and generations.

He said he is concerned that this process has been rushed and is a reflection of Trump and his signature style, not the history of the country.

“It was always called the People’s House,” he said.

Trump has made a number of changes to the White House this year, including redecorating the Oval Office with a variety of gold decor and laying concrete on the Rose Garden lawn to add tables and chairs.

The new White House renovation project has also been criticized by the Society of Architectural Historians, an international nonprofit group that studies the preservation of historic buildings around the world.

In a statement last week, the group said it was “very concerned about the proposed ballroom additions” and said it would be “the first major change to the exterior in the last 83 years (since the East Wing was built in its current form in 1942).”

“Therefore, such a significant change to a historic building of this import must follow a rigorous and deliberate design and review process.”

The American Institute of Architects also expressed alarm and called for a transparent review of the project.

But Trump is certainly not the first president to leave his mark on the building.

Trump’s predecessor, President Barack Obama, transformed the White House tennis court so that it could also host basketball matches.

White House swimming pool It was converted into the White House Press Room during Richard Nixon’s presidency. Regular briefings are now held in the room where presidents once swam laps.

The indoor pool was first installed in 1933 for President Franklin D. Roosevelt. President Franklin D. Roosevelt swam regularly for exercise since he was diagnosed with polio more than a decade ago.

After it closed, Gerald Ford had an outdoor pool built in 1975.

Prior to this, one of the largest renovations occurred under the administration of Harry Truman, which saw the complete gutting and rebuilding of the White House from 1948 to 1952. Truman moved from living in the White House to another location during the extensive project.