Corinthian columns proposed for White House to match ballroom extension
Commission of Fine Arts chair Rodney Mims Cook Jr has suggested that the Executive Residence of the White House switch its Ionic for Corinthian columns to match the controversial, in-progress ballroom extension.
Cook, who was appointed by Donald Trump to lead the federal arts oversight committee Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), said that the front and back of the central Executive Residence should have Corinthian column capitals for "consistency" with the extension, according to reporting by the Washington Post.
The presence of Corinthian columns on other primary government buildings, such as the US Capitol and the Supreme Court, as well as Trump's own preference, were cited by Cook, who first floated the idea during the CFA session that gave symbolic approval to the ballroom extension plan.
Ionic columns are often used for government buildings, whereas Corinthian columns are the most ornate of the classical orders.
Cook asked why the porticos fronting the Executive Residence, considered the primary entrance to the White House complex, would not have the "highest" order of column.
"Why the White House didn't originally use them, at least on the north front, which is considered the front door, is beyond me," he said.
A White House spokesperson told the Washington Post that there were no immediate plans to replace the current sandstone Ionic capitals of White House.
The suggestion aligns with the opulent decoration carried out by Trump, both in designs for the controversial ballroom extension and in his gilt interventions in White House interior spaces, such as the Oval Office.
According to the Post, Trump hand-picked the Corinthian columns for the extension and has used them extensively in other properties during his career as a real estate developer.
After the demolition of the former East Wing last year, construction on the ballroom, is currently awaiting review by the National Capital Planning Commission, which was delayed due to thousands of angry comments submitted in the project's public portal.
Both preservationists and members of the architecture community have expressed scepticism over the massive extension, which is being constructed for the executive branch to host events. In its current plan it will dwarf the other two main buildings of the White House.
The administration has also floated adding a storey to the West Wing, suggesting that no part of the 200-year-old executive branch headquarters will be untouched by the Trump presidency.
Also this week, AECOM released plans for a subterranean security terminal that would serve as an entrance to the new ballroom.
Earlier this month, Dezeen took a look at how Trump is shaping the architecture and design of America's capital.
Top photo of current White House columns by Harrison Keely.
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