White House Proposes Addition to West Wing in Order To Create ‘Symmetry’ With Trump’s $400 Million Ballroom

After getting the official go-ahead last month to move forward with the $400 million ballroom at the White House, a new twist has emerged in the renovation plans.

Designs were shared in a public meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission on Thursday, but the project's architect said that President Donald Trump is now considering a one-story addition to the West Wing to create "symmetry," according to ABC News.

Trump wants to build a second level atop the colonnade that connects the West Wing to the White House residence, according to a new interview with the New York Times.

Trump told the Times that he's calling the project the “Upper West Wing" and that it's currently under design.

He said it could hold additional office space for West Wing aides, or that it could be “First Ladies’ offices for future First Ladies.”

During the planning commission meeting, architect Shalom Baranes said a possible addition to the West Wing would be limited to “just the colonnade.” He said such an addition could be needed to match the height of the ballroom project, which he is also designing.

“I did mention the potential for a future addition, a one-story addition to the West Wing,” Baranes told the commission. It would “reinstate symmetry along the central pavilion of the White House.”

Ballroom renovations underway

During the planning commission meeting, Baranes also presented preliminary plans on the highly debated ballroom project.

The White House ballroom construction project started in October when demolition crews brought in heavy machinery and began tearing down the East Wing ballroom. The East Wing was built in 1902 and had been renovated and changed many times, including the addition of a second story in 1942.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States then filed a lawsuit.

"No president is legally allowed to tear down portions of the White House without any review whatsoever," the lawsuit stated.

But in December, a federal judge said construction on the new ballroom could continue.

Yesterday, Baranes displayed renderings of a ballroom that was as tall as the White House’s Executive Mansion.

Some commission members were reportedly concerned about the size of the project, according to the Times.

However, Joshua Fisher, director of the White House Office of Administration, said that the project was needed and that the demolition of the East Wing was the best option available due to instability, mold, and outdated electrical infrastructure.

Trump told the Times that one main point of constructing a new ballroom was to have a secure site to hold an inauguration—with bulletproof glass, 4 to 5 inches thick, that “can take just about any weapon that we know of.”

“It’s being designed very much with the inauguration in mind," Trump said. "It’ll be able to hold six times what the Capitol can hold, and it’s all bulletproof glass, drone-proof roof, yeah, serious. The biggest drone could crash into it—you’d hear a noise up there. It wouldn’t be bad.”

The ballroom demolition started right in the middle of a government shutdown, with Trump insisting that he and private donors are funding the project.

The cost has ballooned from $200 million to $300 million, and now, to $400 million. The White House said it is being funded by private donors. The president says it's needed to host state dinners for a larger crowd. The former ballroom sat only about 200 people. The new ballroom is expected to hold nearly 1,000.

James McCrery II, the project’s original architect—replaced in December by Baranes—reportedly raised serious concerns that the completed 90,000-square-foot ballroom would overshadow the 55,000-square-foot White House.

Other renovations proposed

Trump also told the Times that he planned to tear up the brick walkways in Lafayette Park and replace them with granite—in part, so protesters couldn't pluck bricks from the walkway and throw them.

He estimated the cost would be about $10 million and said he's spending his own money on the project.

Trump also told the Times he was considering a spot on the Potomac River for a planned sculpture garden called the "National Garden of American Heroes."

Congress allocated $40 million for it in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year.

Additional White House projects

The ballroom isn't Trump's first major project since taking office for a second term on Jan. 20, 2025.

He gave the Rose Garden a redesign, much to the dismay of critics who did not want an overhaul of the space that was installed in 1913 by first lady Ellen Louise Wilson, wife of President Woodrow Wilson.

The grassy space was one of the White House's most iconic areas, made famous by the rose bushes that lined the landscaped lawn.

The Rose Garden's grassy space was paved over to make it safer and more convenient for people attending events—especially women wearing high heels.

Trump also told the Times that he was very proud of a renovation of the bathroom connected to the Lincoln Bedroom.

“I made it into what would have been used at the highest level, the most gorgeous marble,” he said.

Separate from the White House, the president also revealed in October that he wants to build a new monument—an Arc de Triomphe-style arch near the Lincoln Memorial.