Trump's $200m ballroom: A history of home improvements at the White House

Al Jazeera

7 days ago

After paving over the Rose Garden and adding gold-filigree decorations to the Oval Office, US President Donald Trump will embark on his most dramatic addition to the White House yet – a new $200m ballroom to be built adjacent to the mansion's East Wing.
Trump, a former real estate developer, has repeatedly promised to build a 'beautiful' ballroom at the White House. In 2016, he offered $100m during Barack Obama's tenure for the project, which the then-president rejected.
But in a briefing to reporters at the White House on Thursday, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the 'much needed and exquisite addition' to the White House will be approximately 90,000 square feet (8,360 square metres), with a seating capacity of 650.
Most formal White House functions are currently held in the White House's East Room, which can seat approximately 200 people. According to Leavitt, construction is expected to be completed 'long before' the end of Trump's term in office in January 2029.
She also said that the president and other donors would pay for the renovations, but declined to give details. Renderings provided by the White House show that the ballroom will be similar architecturally to the rest of the mansion.
Leavitt said the ballroom would be built where the 'East Wing currently sits'. When asked whether the project would require knocking down that section of the White House, she said the East Wing would need to be 'modernised'.
'The White House has a history of expansion to accommodate the changing needs of the nation's chief executive,' Leslie Greene Bowman, who has served under four presidents on the Committee for the Preservation of the White House, told BBC News.
So, what have those been?
When and how was the White House constructed?
Construction of the White House began in 1792, based on a design by the Irish-born architect James Hoban. Built by enslaved labourers and European craftsmen, it was first occupied by President John Adams in 1800, though it still wasn't finished when he moved in.
Enslaved labourers were forced to do physically demanding work on the White House, like quarrying and transporting stone and making bricks. They were typically hired out by their enslavers, who were paid for their labour.
During the War of 1812 (also known as the Second War of Independence), British forces invaded Washington and set fire to the White House in August 1814.
Reconstruction began almost immediately afterwards under President James Madison, again led by Hoban.
President James Monroe moved into the restored building in 1817, and later added the South Portico in 1824. The North Portico followed in 1829 during Andrew Jackson's presidency, establishing the iconic facade of the White House as it is known today.
Over the course of the 19th century, amendments were made slowly. Running water, gas lighting, and furnishings were gradually added. In 1891, under President Benjamin Harrison, electricity was installed in the White House.
What changes were made to the White House in the 20th century?
President Theodore Roosevelt made one of the most transformative changes to the building in 1902. He removed the old Victorian-style interiors and relocated the presidential offices from the second floor of the residence to a new West Wing.
Roosevelt also expanded the State Dining Room – which could only hold 40 guests – by removing a staircase and increasing the size to a seating capacity of 100.
Roosevelt's renovations modernised the White House to suit the needs of a growing executive branch.
Then, in 1909, William Howard Taft expanded Roosevelt's West Wing and created the first Oval Office, a symbolic centrepiece of presidential power.
The biggest changes to the White House came under Harry Truman (president from 1945 to 1953). Truman gutted the inside of the building, leaving only the outer walls, while workers rebuilt the internal structure with steel beams and concrete floors.
Truman also added a controversial second-floor balcony on the South Portico, sometimes called the 'Truman Balcony'. Later presidents made more subtle, but still meaningful, changes to the White House.
John F Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy led a restoration project focused on historical authenticity, refurbishing rooms with antiques.
In 1969, Richard Nixon added a bowling alley and upgraded the Situation Room.
Under Bill Clinton, the White House saw major technological upgrades, including improved security systems and internet connectivity. George W Bush renovated the press briefing room and restored several historical rooms, including the Abraham Lincoln Bedroom.
In recent years, Barack Obama installed wi-fi throughout the White House and the West Wing. Obama, a lifelong basketball enthusiast, also had part of the White House's existing tennis courts adapted for basketball use.
Though no official estimate exists, the cumulative costs of construction and renovations amount to roughly $250m (in current dollar terms). As such, maintaining the home – and office – of the US president comes with a significant price tag.
What other building works are under way in Washington, DC?
The timing of the ballroom project is significant. Just a week ago, Trump seized on a sprawling renovation project undertaken by the US Federal Reserve (Fed) to criticise the central bank's chair, Jay Powell.
Trump zeroed in on the expensive price tag of the project – roughly $2.5bn to renovate two 1930s buildings. During a rare presidential visit to the central bank's headquarters on July 24, Trump accused Powell of financial mismanagement.
Last month, meanwhile, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought (a Trump appointee) accused Powell of mishandling the 'ostentatious' refurbishment of the Fed's headquarters in Washington, DC.
Trump has repeatedly demanded that the Fed lower interest rates by 3 percentage points, and has frequently raised the possibility of firing Powell, though the president has said he does not intend to do so. On July 22, Trump called the Fed chief a 'numbskull'.
Despite pressure from the White House, the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at 4.25-4.50 percent on July 30, on par with economists' expectations, as tariff-driven uncertainty weighs on the US economy.