The writer is the FT’s architecture critic
Sometimes you see stuff online and it just doesn’t look right. President Donald Trump’s $300mn-ish ballroom extension is almost twice the size of the entire existing White House. Surely that’s not correct? Well, it’s Trump. So yes. Turns out it is. A 90,000 sq ft extension to a 55,000 sq ft residence. It’s like adding a conservatory twice the size of your house. Only your house is one of the most historic and recognisable in the world.
Some of the discussion around the new ballroom has focused on style. Its architect, James McCrery, is a Catholic classicist known for big churches and conservative historicism. Some has been about funding. No taxpayer dollars are involved, apparently. Trump suggests he is personally funding much of the work but shouldn’t Americans know?