Donald Trump’s plan to build a massive golden arch in Washington, D.C. just got supersized.
Trump, 79, has been planning to build a large golden arch, mirroring the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, that will overlook the Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia. The area is already filled with iconic landmarks, including Arlington National Cemetery, and the National Mall just across the river in D.C.
Trump has been shown several versions of the arch, including 165-foot and 123-foot designs, according to the Washington Post.
But the president is now favoring the largest model at 250 feet, liking the fact that its size could impress visitors to the nation’s capital. Insiders also told the Post that “250 for 250” made the most sense to Trump, referring to the nation’s 250th anniversary this year.
Trump has proposed that the arch be built in Memorial Circle, at the end of the Arlington Memorial Bridge in Virginia. The area is already very busy with traffic from cars. Building the arch there would bring major changes to the traffic circle.
Trump’s newly desired height for the project will undoubtedly dwarf many iconic landmarks around it.
The planned Arch will directly face the Lincoln Memorial on the other side of the Potomac, which stands about 99 feet. Should the arch be the 250-foot model Trump prefers, it will be the most similar in height to the U.S. Capitol, which stands at about 288 feet.
Washington, D.C. has short skyline compared to other U.S. cities of similar size. The city has an ordinance that is over a hundred years old that requires the vast majority of buildings to be no higher than 130 feet.
Trump’s arch, which has been dubbed the “Arch of Trump,” will be even taller than that of its inspiration. The Arc de Triomphe stands at around 164 feet tall.
Architectural experts have already voiced concern about the scale of Trump’s arch, which they say would diminish some of the intent behind the surrounding memorials.
“I would be very concerned about the scale,” Calder Loth, a retired Senior Architectural Historian for the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, told the Post.
He noted that its scale could alter the view of the Arlington National Cemetery for tourists as they walk from the National Mall.
“It would make Arlington House just look like a dollhouse — or you couldn’t see it all, with the arch blocking the view,” he continued.
“How does it impact the panorama of Washington?” Loth added. “What is supposed to be doing the speaking?”
