Under fire, construction of White House Golden Ballroom expected to be approved in April

On Thursday, the National Capital Planning Commission in Washington looked into the thorny issue of building a golden ballroom at the White House. The project, estimated today at $400 million, has already exploded initial estimates with its scale revised upwards several times since its announcement in September. This did not prevent the project from starting immediately, without waiting for a green light from the authorities or the presentation of precise plans.

Nearly five months after the destruction of the old east wing of the White House, Donald Trump had his first satisfaction with the green light from the American Fine Arts Advisory Commission. The court also dismissed complaints in which heritage defenders argued that such work could not take place without the approval of independent authorities or Congress.

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The second body to look into the matter, the National Capital Planning Commission knew that the work would be tough. To minimize scandals, she decided to hold her hearings online, and not in person, to better frame the debate. In vain. Difficult to review all the complaints submitted. Or to decide on the legitimacy of the White House representatives sent to defend the case, which several associations contest. It is impossible under these conditions to give its opinion on Thursday evening, as planned. The announcement was postponed to April 2, after having gone through the hundreds of complaints received. According to the American press, however, there is no doubt about the verdict, in particular because of the appointment of Will Scharf, Donald Trump’s former lawyer, to this commission.

The postponement of the vote is the consequence, in part, of strong objections from heritage defense associations across the Atlantic, who have opposed the project since the presentation of the first plans in August 2025. They denounce in particular the excessive surface area of ​​the new wing desired by Donald Trump, which should exceed 8,000 square meters, including 2,000 for a gigantic reception room. Among the grievances, the dimensions of the new wing, the surface area of ​​which alone will exceed those of the historic residence and the west wing, where the Oval Office is located. Direct consequence: the garden will be largely concreted and the oval path which crosses it will have to go around the new building. The architectural choices are also contested, with a new monumental portico surmounting three flights of steps. Opponents of the project denounce a facade which will have no use and which does not even meet modern standards of access for people with disabilities.

The building’s insertion into the city’s landscape is still debated. Opponents point out in particular that the new wing will distort the historic perspectives of the capital, that of Pennsylvania Avenue, which connects the White House to Congress, like that seen from the Mall, one of the most famous views of Washington DC. However, this general plan of the capital was designed at the end of the 18th century by the French engineer Pierre Charles L’Enfant at the request of George Washington.

The criticism comes primarily from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government earlier this year, arguing that it had failed to meet legal assessment requirements and obtain congressional authorization for such work. These prosecutions fizzled and the American president judged that it was ” too late “ to stop the work, launched in October with the demolition of the east wing.

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Donald Trump once again mocked opponents earlier this week during a medal ceremony. He particularly mentioned the curtains which will decorate the large windows in the corridor leading to the reception room. “When I hear this noise, this beautiful noise behind me, I hear the money, so I like that”he declared in the hubbub of the work.

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Several options refused by the White House

According to the American media MS NOW, the White House Historical Association, an independent organization founded by former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy to preserve and protect public access to the history of the White House, ruled “very shocking” the demolition of this east wing. She also indicated that before the start of the project, she submitted to Donald Trump options which made it possible to preserve the old building without disfiguring the entire presidential residence.

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The White House Historical Association’s options recommended building the ballroom in an adjoining location south of the White House, where tents are typically set up to host outdoor events. The association then imagined “a magnificent reception terrace with a view of the residence”. Several similar opinions were proposed to the Trump administration which ultimately decided to launch the bulldozers.