Cage fights in the White House! Giant bow! Trump’s flashy plans to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary | Build

WWhen the United States celebrated its bicentennial on July 4, 1976, it marked the occasion by opening the Exhibition Hall of the National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Designed in a bold, modern style by Helmuth’s firm, Obata + Kassabaum (now known as HOK), they were a testament to the daring of American aviation, from the Wright Brothers to the moon landing.

At the time, although the smell of Republican political shenanigans was never far away, with Gerald Ford replacing the disgraced Richard Nixon in 1974, there was a sense that the nation was embracing progress, looking forward, not backward. Despite all the historical events that Washington witnessed crossing the Delaware River, the United States chose to see itself through the prism of modernity and technological power.

Half a century later, as the country prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, historical re-enactments have trumped almost all else when it comes to architecture. Intent on stamping his gilded fingerprint on Washington, Donald Trump recently shared the latest iterations of his proposed Arc de Triomphe, first unveiled last October, which would be constructed across from the Lincoln Memorial on the Potomac River. His post on Truth Social shows three uncredited versions of the so-called “Trump Arch” now renamed the “Independence Arch,” decorated with varying degrees of gilding and statues.

Given Trump’s weakness for ornament, the smart money would be on the gilded iteration, a gaudy example of what American architecture critic Kate Wagner described as “the Rococo of a regional car dealership.” All three versions are modeled on the Arch of Titus in Rome, which was originally built in the first century after Rome’s military conquest of Jerusalem. As a form of classical antiquity, it has appeared throughout history, from the Arc de Triomphe in Paris to the Washington Square Arch in New York.

Trump initially ironically floated a choice of three different scales for his Independence Arch, but appears to have landed on the largest, which is 250 feet (76 meters) high. Although the size has alarmed some architectural and preservation experts, who say it could potentially distort the relationship between existing historic monuments, Trump feels that “250 feet for 250 feet” — one foot for every year of the United States’ life — is fully consistent with his ambitions.

“The arch that people mostly know is the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France. And I think we’ll go way beyond it,” Trump said at a White House Christmas reception in December. For context, the Arc de Triomphe is 164 feet high.

Historically, triumphal arches – the bigger the better – have been catnip for tyrants of all stripes. Hitler prepared one of these with his favorite architect, Albert Speer, for his post-war vision of Berlin as a city welthauptstadt Or the World Capital At a massive 328 feet, it would have dwarfed the Trump Arch and the Arc de Triomphe.

Trump’s other actions on the sesquicentennial include minting $1 coins with his face on them, thus violating an 1866 law prohibiting any living person from appearing on U.S. currency. He also plans to stage a star-studded Ultimate Fighting Championship event in a temporary arena at the White House. It’s hard to imagine any other US president endorsing a cage fight on the South Lawn, but we’re not in Kansas anymore, and Trump’s friends in all areas of public and cultural life seem content to enable his murderous clown tendencies.

However, there has been some opposition to his controversial plan to close and redevelop the Kennedy Center, a model of elegant modern formalism drawn up by Edward Durell Stone and dating back to 1971. Trump has used his familiar plan on the Kennedy debacle, convinced that he knows better than the experts, and that the “silent majority” actually supports his filibusters.

However, after several artists boycotted, the American branch of Docomomo, the world heritage body dedicated to preserving modern buildings, came out swinging. “In addition to being a beloved cultural institution that honors the life and legacy of our 35th president, the Kennedy Center is a celebrated work of modern architecture and a landmark achievement by master architect Edward Durrell Stone,” its executive director, Liz Waitkus, told The Architect.

“DoCoMomo US remains deeply concerned by the continued lack of adherence to the regulatory processes governing federally owned properties,” Waitkus added. “Sites like the Kennedy Center are owned by the public and should be managed transparently, not treated as private assets.” She also stressed that Docomomo “joins like-minded organizations to affirm the public’s right to review and participate in decisions that affect these places of national importance.”

By exploiting history and its symbols for his own ends, Trump clearly sees himself as a kind of untouchable modern Roman emperor, with a penchant for spectacle of both the human and architectural kind. His mandates that “classical” or “traditional” styles be used in federal buildings are intended to exercise power over public space and stifle any remotely progressive ideals. No doubt he hates HOK’s National Air and Space Museum.

While the latest iteration of Trump’s arrogant bow may be spun in a salacious way as a tribute to US independence, if he really intends to go full Roman, he might want to engage an aide to whisper in his ear what was murmured to victorious Roman generals during victory parades: “memento mori.” Remember, you are mortal. And all things must pass.