Trump plans to use 'magic white paint' to cover White House office building
WASHINGTON, D.C. - President Donald Trump is proposing more transformations for the nation's capital. However, this time, experts are warning against his potentially damaging design choice.
What we know:
Trump submitted plans to paint the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which sits across from the West Wing, making it bright white.
The proposal included two renderings for potential painting options; completely covering the entire building in white, or leaving its granite basement and sub-basement.
It claims that the building has been "largely neglected since its construction in the 1800s" and that the "color, design and massing of the existing structure does not align visually with the surrounding architecture and lacks any symbolic cohesion with the White House.
The benefit to painting the building is "repeatable," according to the proposal, which argues that the "inability to bring the stone facade back to a baseline color has plagued the maintenance of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in the past, and will continue to plague it if not addressed."
Dig deeper:
CNN reports that Trump wants to use "magic paint with silicate" to cover the building, claiming it would "strengthen the stone, keep water out, prevent staining, be easy to apply, and rarely require painting."
Experts reportedly claimed that the mineral silicate paints are not suited for granite, would not strengthen it or prevent staingin, and could cause irreversible damage.
The backstory:
The Eisenhower Executive Office Building was completed in 1888 in the French Second Empire style, and sits across from a driveway of the West Wing.
The slate-gray building now houses ancillary office space for the president’s staff, including the Office of the Vice President, the National Security Council and the Office of Management and Budget.
What's next:
The Executive Office of the President submitted the design proposal to the Commission of Fine Arts, which oversees plans for federal buildings, parks, monuments and memorials in Washington, D.C.
The Trump-appointed agency is expected to review the proposal for the first time on Thursday.
Renderings revealed for Trump’s 250-foot Triumphal Arch
Official design renderings for the president’s controversial 250-foot arch were shared on Friday.
Big picture view:
Trump appears to be determined to leave his mark on the nation's capital, proposing and completing several projects during his second term.
In addition to the 250-foot Triumphal Arch announced last week, the president is building a $400 million ballroom after demolishing the White House’s East Wing and closing the Kennedy Center for a two-year renovation. He also demolished the Rose Garden and installed a new stone patio, installed a Walk of Fame featuring portraits of past presidents along the Colonnade, installed massive flagpoles on the north and south lawns, and substantially overhauled the Oval Office.
The Source: Information from this article was sourced from a proposal by the Executive Office of the President, CNN and previous reporting.