Why does Trump’s gaudy ballroom look so familiar?
Oh yes, the Hall of Mirrors in France’s Palace of Versailles, commissioned by King Louis XIV in 1678.
Kings, it seems, must have their glittering grandiosity.
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Header image: Gold ornaments for the White House, said by Trump to be the “highest quality 24 Karat Gold” and by critics, spray-painted ornaments from Home Depot.
Spot on!
🙂
This seems to be his favourite angle of all the drawings. I’ve never seen a ballroom entirely filled with tables and chairs before …
Trump says the room will seat 999 (up from his original 650) guests for state dinners. Lots of articles do mention the current lack of indoor seating capacity for such events — only 120-150ish guests. Also, although the drawing reminds me of Versailles, many reports say it looks like the ballroom at Mar-a-Lago. And that ballroom also reminds me of Versailles. So I’m sticking to my theory — he’s trying to look like a European king.
I read somewhere today that, yes, the Mar-a-Lago ballroom was indeed inspired by and/or modeled after Versailles. Ugh.
I’d say he’s utterly shameless had that not been said in rage by roughly 3,931,604 people already …
Oh, more than that. Estimates for the No Kings march range around 7 million. I’ve actually wondered if his abrupt unapproved razing of the East Wing was his response to the march.
All this for a ballroom that won’t even be ready to use until 2029 — after he’s out of office
You’re right, lust for grandiosity seems to be quite common among royalty and those who aspire to royalty. Why this desire for always more? Ross Perot was right about the subject. You can only drive one car at a time or wear one pair of pants at a time. But try to tell that to Imelda Marcos about shoes.
Realistically, Trump can’t even aspire to royalty in this country because we don’t do royalty (take that, George III!). He can only pretend, like a child playing house. No amount of gilt (guilt?) will make him the equal of European or Middle East kings. As I’ve noted before, one cannot buy class. (Nor can one buy royalty.) And the harder Trump tries, the tackier he gets.
He’s made no secret he admires building/architecture of the past – and is pretty.
Peter the Great desired the same – and build St. Petersburg copying the French architecture hoping to prove to the world Russia wasn’t all dirt clod dullards.
The US and we do deserve not to be embarrassed (as Obama was for several events which had to be held in tents with mud underfoot. ) when there are large state events.
About time – especially since it’s not being done with taxpayer money.
It is Our house (and represents us on the world stage) and we deserve first class – the interior style will change – come and go with Presidents’ and their wives’ taste – which is great. But the structure will be there and allow changes.
Some visitors/heads of state require grandeur to feel respect and to willing to negotiate.
Trump may drive me crazy sometimes (But you get what you pay for? He’s not taking any salary), but this addition is good and sorely needed in my opinion. (I prefer barrel ceilings, but he must be more Neo-classical architecture? It’s probably more appropriate….however flat roofs always leak…so there’s hope? HAHAHAHA)
Onward to Holler-RIng (and this spooky ghoulish horror? HAHAHAHA)
Oh, I agree a large ballroom is desperately needed. But destroying part of the White House to make room for it is or was unacceptable. Use any open land any place in Washington (it didn’t have to adjoin the WH), but not at the cost of any historic DC structures. Sadly, it’s now too late for all that. Of course I would expect it to be very attractive, very tasteful and elegant (Trump’s taste is gaudy and tacky). At least, as you point out, it can be redecorated by future presidents.
There have been many days this year when I felt Halloween was already here.