White House ballroom architect says West Wing additions considered for 'symmetry'

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: ABC News

January 8, 2026, 5:38 PM


The White House on Thursday presented the latest plans for the East Wing renovation project, the construction of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom, in a public meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission.

The project’s architect, Shalom Baranes, said during the meeting that the White House is considering adding a one-story addition to the West Wing to restore “symmetry” to the complex after the East Wing ballroom project is complete. His comments came after announcing a two-story colonnade would connect the East Room in the White House to the new ballroom.

"The White House is therefore considering the idea of a modest one-story addition to the West Wing colonnade, which would serve to restore a sense of symmetry around the original central pavilion." Baranes also clarified details about the expansion project, telling commissioners the East Wing expansion would include a second floor, and that the new ballroom would have roughly 40-foot ceilings, be roughly 22,000 square feet of the nearly 90,000 square foot project, and be able to accommodate up to 1,000 seated guests.

Phil Mendelson, the Washington City Council Chairman and member of the planning commission, said he felt the East Wing design could appear to be “overwhelming” the existing White House structure. Baranes said the 45,000 square foot project would “exactly” match the height of the White House when completed.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/white-house-expected-present-ballroom-construction-plans-1st/story?id=128999044

[RVN VET71]

1. And tear down that pesky WWII memorial while they're at it and replace it

with a Trump Memorial, twice the size of the Lincoln Memorial, with a Golden [plaited] Trump seated on a golden throne looking down the reflecting pool towards Abe Lincoln.

And the Trump statue would be like Janus, one head looking towards Lincoln, the other looking towards the Trump and Washington Monuments -- you need not guess which one would be bigger. Bigger and, of course, plaited in gold trim.

I think that would be a nice addition, don't you? asked millions of red-hat wearing, large potbellied men, along with every Republican Representative in the House of the same name.


And then, with the East and West wings "evened out" the Administration could get rid of that paltry "White House" in the middle and put up, instead, a multi storied edifice, The Trump Presidential Tower, with marble-floored and walled bathrooms and golden toilets in every living quarter. Maybe 70 storeys? With a rotating observation deck at the very top which will afford a sweeping view of the entirety of the Federal Sector of Trump-Washington D.C., access granted to select foreign dignitaries and, of course, generously-donating billionaires and multi-millionaires and their entourages.

Hmmm, and that reflecting pool. I wonder what use could be made of it, once it's paved over?

[BumRushDaShow]

2. "I think that would be a nice addition, don't you? "

It would be a bookend to the MOST MASSIVE IN THE WORLD "Arc de TRiiMPh".

[cstanleytech]

9. Trump probably wants where the Lincoln memorial or the unamed soldier is buried at for that.

[Botany]

3. No. They tore down the East Wing that included the works of Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt, and

Jacki Kennedy so they can keep their hands off the West Wing.

[Igel]

7. Teddy Roosevelt's and FDR's contributions, sure.

Teddy Roosevelt ripped out what Jefferson had put up--a colonnade and various storage facilities, mostly. He gets the credit for that bit of historical destruction nobody cares about.

FDR added the 2nd floor and what because the situation room to the East Wing.

The JK garden was established by Teddy Roosevelt's 1st lady and JK had it redone.

Then there were the two magnolia trees, one from the early 1900s (prior to 1910, that is) and the other from the early '40s.

[lonely bird]

4. 40 ft ceilings?

What the fuck for?

If a Dem is elected in 2028 (assuming we still have those amusing little things called elections) the entire addition should be torn down.

[FakeNoose]

6. So impractical ... it would cost a fortune to heat and cool it

Who's paying for that? Not Chump of course!

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

5. Symmetry would be nice, with a few little touches

[intheflow]

8. It already was symmetrical.

Now it will just be grotesque and obscene.

[Dave Bowman]

17. Grotesque and obscene, just like the would-be king.

[cstanleytech]

10. I hope that historians don't try to whitewash what the Republicans are doing in the future with this kind of shit.

[hunter]

11. It's not a ballroom.

The West Wing will be Congress, the East Wing will be the Supreme Court, both hand picked by the Supreme Leader.

The Lincoln Memorial will be torn down and replaced by the secret police, the reflecting pond containing cooling water for their massive data center.

The rest of Washington D.C. will be sold off to billionaires who will rename institutions like the Smithsonian after themselves, or tear them down to build luxury apartments and hotels for the Chosen.

The Washington Monument will be renamed for the Supreme Leader and plated in actual gold. It will also serve as the site for nationally televised executions.

Sigh...

Imagining dystopias is so damned easy.

[Irish_Dem]

12. Trump's goal is to demolish the White House.

He has always called it a dump.

He is doing it piece by piece.

It will all be gone in four years?

[Dave Bowman]

16. Mar a Lardo is a dump, failing sanitary inspections all the time.

[Irish_Dem]

18. Yes but it has cheap gold decor and plenty of cocaine and hookers.

[Kid Berwyn]

19. Wow! That was Putin's goal, too!

Mission accomplished! Again.

As for the WH itself, I got a twofer type suggestion…

Trump Mausoleum Proposed by Andres Serrano for US Pavilion at the Venice Biennale

[Ford_Prefect]

13. Oh Hell No!

[Texin]

14. It couldn't be any clearer that this orange cretin has no plans to ever leave the White House.

[Dave Bowman]

15. The barely literate psychopath doesn't have repect for anything or anyone.

[Martin68]

20. The entire project should be stopped in its tracks. We can rebuild once we get a Democrat back in office.

[maxsolomon]

21. Baranes is going to destroy his firm taking this project on

Trump destroys everything and everyone he associates with.

The firm has done competent work to this point:
https://www.sbaranes.com/portfolio/all/grid

[LudwigPastorius]

22. If it is built, it will always be a gilded tumor on the People's House that reminds us...

of the dark days this country is going through.