Donald Trump calls for "redesign" of Saarinen-designed Dulles Airport

US president Donald Trump has called for the Eero Saarinen-designed Dulles Airport near Washington DC to be redesigned, with the Department of Transportation announcing plans to "replace or build on" the existing main terminal.

Trump called for the reconstruction of the airport during a Cabinet meeting earlier this week, calling Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) "incorrectly designed" and a "terrible airport".

"It was incorrectly designed with a good building," Trump reportedly said. He went on to compliment the main terminal building, which was designed by Finnish-American architect Saarinen in the 1960s.

"Actually, it's got a beautiful terminal – one of the greatest architects in the world at the time," he said. "And so they have a great building and a bad airport, but we're gonna turn that around."

Proposals sought "to construct completely new terminals"

However, in a statement released by Trump's federal Department of Transportation (DoT), the administration left open the possibility of "replacing or building on" the main terminal, designed by Saarinen.

"The Secretary is inviting proposals and public-private partnership plans from the best and brightest developers, architects, and engineers to construct completely new terminals and concourses at IAD," said the DoT.

"These structures would replace or build on the existing main terminal and satellite concourses at IAD."

Trump and his adminstration focused on logistic aspects of the airport, such as the "people movers", bus-like machines that transport people from the terminal to planes waiting on the runway, despite current work to modernise the operations, including the current work on a new concourse.

"New international gateway airport"

In the memo, the administration also cited Trump's Making Federal Architecture Beautiful Again executive order, which calls for federal architecture to default to classical and traditional architecture in new construction.

"Consistent with that EO the president and the secretary are inviting industry experts to submit information, including design, finance, and construction concepts, for a new international gateway airport for the National Capital Region," said the DoT.

It is unclear if the plans would change structural aspects to the multiple buildings on the site, including concourses by American architecture studios SOM and HOK.

The news comes after an announcement that Trump would like the airport to be named after himself.

It is just one aspect of Trump's push to make his mark on the nation's capital through architecture and design, with the demolition of the White House's East Wing in October to make room for a massive ballroom and plans to build a triumphal arch in the city.

The photography is courtesy of Shutterstock.

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