The architect overseeing President Donald Trump's White House ballroom said Thursday the administration is also considering a modest one-story addition to the West Wing colonnade as part of a broader effort to restore architectural balance to the White House campus.
Shalom Baranes shared updated details at a meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission, where he outlined plans for a large ballroom complex that would significantly expand the White House footprint, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Baranes said his firm adopted a design originally developed by a previous architect for a roughly 22,000-square-foot ballroom with ceilings between 38 and 40 feet high. The space would be capable of hosting about 1,000 people for seated dinners and major events.
Baranes said the proposed two-story ballroom building would be carefully aligned with the White House so the rooflines match, preserving visual continuity with the historic structure.
While the ballroom itself would serve as the centerpiece, the full complex would add more than 89,000 square feet to the campus. By comparison, the main White House residence spans about 55,000 square feet.
Plans for the ballroom complex include a lower level with offices for the first lady, a movie theater, and a commercial kitchen. The proposal also calls for a two-story colonnade connecting the new ballroom building to the East Wing and the main White House.
As part of the broader redesign, Baranes said the administration is evaluating whether to add a one-story extension to the West Wing colonnade to restore symmetry around the original central pavilion.
He stressed that the idea remains under consideration and would be reviewed alongside the overall project at a future meeting.
The West Wing houses offices for senior White House staff and is connected to the main building by the well-known West Colonnade, often used for official ceremonies and visits by foreign leaders.
Trump has recently made changes to the colonnade area, including the installation of plaques honoring former presidents.
Baranes did not provide an updated cost estimate.
Earlier projections placed the cost of the ballroom project at about $200 million, though Trump has suggested the final price could be higher while saying he could build it efficiently. The president has said he has raised significant private funding for the project.
Will Scharf, chair of the planning commission and a senior Trump aide, called the presentation the start of the formal approval process. Baranes said a more detailed proposal will be presented at a future meeting, with Trump indicating construction could begin as soon as later this winter.
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