US President Donald Trump has announced that the 'existing structure' of the White House East Wing is to be completely demolished in order to build a $250m ballroom. Construction on the project, which Trump claims will be "much-needed", began on Monday and is expected to be completed by the weekend.
The East Wing, built in 1902, was last modified in 1942. It houses offices for the first lady and other staff, as well as meeting rooms and special events space. Trump said that the building had undergone significant changes over the years and was "very, very much changed from what it was originally".
The White House is considered a national historic landmark, and its renovation has been met with concern from preservationists. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has written to White House officials expressing its concerns about the project, arguing that it should have undergone more scrutiny before demolition work began.
Criticism of the renovation from opposition politicians has intensified in recent days, with some calling for a halt to the demolition and others requesting greater transparency over the project's details. The White House has been accused of lacking transparency over the extent of the works, with Trump recently telling reporters that he had been "more transparent than anyone's ever been".
The cost of the ballroom construction is funded by Trump himself and "some friends of mine - donors", although the identity of these individuals has not been disclosed. Military personnel have also been involved in the project.
Conservationists have pointed out that the White House is exempt from the National Historic Preservation Act, a law which would normally require public reviews of projects impacting historic buildings. However, Prof Priya Jain, chair of a heritage preservation committee at the Society of Architectural Historians, said she "would be surprised if that process was not followed at the White House in the past".
The East Wing, built in 1902, was last modified in 1942. It houses offices for the first lady and other staff, as well as meeting rooms and special events space. Trump said that the building had undergone significant changes over the years and was "very, very much changed from what it was originally".
The White House is considered a national historic landmark, and its renovation has been met with concern from preservationists. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has written to White House officials expressing its concerns about the project, arguing that it should have undergone more scrutiny before demolition work began.
Criticism of the renovation from opposition politicians has intensified in recent days, with some calling for a halt to the demolition and others requesting greater transparency over the project's details. The White House has been accused of lacking transparency over the extent of the works, with Trump recently telling reporters that he had been "more transparent than anyone's ever been".
The cost of the ballroom construction is funded by Trump himself and "some friends of mine - donors", although the identity of these individuals has not been disclosed. Military personnel have also been involved in the project.
Conservationists have pointed out that the White House is exempt from the National Historic Preservation Act, a law which would normally require public reviews of projects impacting historic buildings. However, Prof Priya Jain, chair of a heritage preservation committee at the Society of Architectural Historians, said she "would be surprised if that process was not followed at the White House in the past".
Demolishin the historic East Wing just to build a fancy ballroom? That's like, so extra! 
The fact that it's gettin' funded by his "friends" and himself is sketchy too... who are these people? 
And don't even get me started on the lack of transparency. I mean, come on, if you're gonna make such a big change to the White House, at least be open about it! 
Preservationists have valid concerns 'bout this renovation, and I think we should all be keepin' an eye on this project 
.
but at the same time, a new ballroom wouldnt hurt either lol. im all about progress and stuff, so like, if trump wants to build this thing then im down... 
but on the other hand, its kinda weird that he's just gonna demolish the east wing without even getting more input from ppl... 
i mean, cant we just find a way to, like, renovate it instead of tearing it down? 
and whats up with the military personnel being involved in this project? that sounds pretty shady... 
but also, trumps been saying he's super transparent about everything... 
[image of a luxurious ballroom with a giant price tag on it]
[GIF of Trump talking to reporters, nodding enthusiastically] 
[image of a historic building with a red "X" through it]
But seriously, why not just do some cosmetic updates like painting the walls or adding new fixtures instead of blowing it up entirely? And what about the historical significance of the East Wing? I mean, it's been there since 1902. That's a piece of history you can't just replace with a fancy ballroom