Donald Trump’s White House says it will build a standalone, 90,000-sq-ft ballroom able to accommodate 650 people, replacing the current 200-capacity venue situated in the White House’s East Room.
Clark Construction will build it. McCrery Architects is lead architect and Aecom is lead engineer.
The White House says Trump and unnamed donors will finance the project, estimated to cost $200m.
The BBC reports that in 2016 Trump offered $100m to then president Obama to build a new ballroom.
Work on the ballroom is due to begin in September, with the venue traditionally hosting formal events.
The design is said to mimic the architecture and theme of the current ballroom.
Modernisation work will also take place on the White House’s East Wing. It is unclear how extensive it will be.
The East Room is the largest room in the White House’s central building, also known as the executive residence.
The East Wing was constructed in 1902 and has been renovated multiple times, with a second story added in 1942.
Jim McCrery, McCrery Architects’ chief executive, says that the ballroom has been “untouched since president Harry Truman”.
Trump previously oversaw the paving of the White House’s Rose Garden, which had traditionally held press events and gatherings.
Susie Wiles, the White House’s chief of staff, said: “President Trump is a builder at heart and has an extraordinary eye for detail.
“The President and the Trump White House are fully committed to working with the appropriate organisations to [preserve] the special history of the White House while building a beautiful ballroom that can be enjoyed by future Administrations and generations of Americans to come.”
The ballroom is due to be completed before the end of Trump’s second term as president in January 2029.
- Subscribe here to get stories about construction around the world in your inbox three times a week
