(AFP) – US President Donald Trump’s administration on Friday revealed renderings for a colossal triumphal arch proposed for construction in Washington near some of the nation’s most revered monuments. At 250 feet (76.2 meters) it would pip Mexico City’s Monument to the Revolution by 30 feet, making it the largest structure of its kind in the world, and knocking Pyongyang’s Arch of Triumph to third place.
The gold-accented arch would also tower over the 99-foot-tall Lincoln Memorial, sitting just across the Potomac River at the other end of Arlington Memorial Bridge, and be clearly visible from Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, the final resting place for many of the nation’s military heroes. The structure “will be the GREATEST and MOST BEAUTIFUL Triumphal Arch, anywhere in the World,” Trump wrote on his social media platform on Friday. “This will be a wonderful addition to the Washington D.C. area for all Americans to enjoy for many decades to come!”
The arch is one of several architectural projects — including the construction of a large White House ballroom, lambasted by critics, and renovations to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts — that Trump has undertaken to leave a mark on Washington in his second term. Drawings and computer-generated renderings show a large, winged Lady Liberty flanked by two eagles — all gilded — atop a towering white arch. Golden inscriptions read “One Nation Under God” and “Liberty and Justice for All” on opposite sides.
The arch, resembling the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, is proposed for a traffic circle on Columbia Island, which sits in the Potomac River that hugs Washington. Trump, who was one of America’s most famous real estate developers before entering the entertainment industry and later politics, has said it would be built to mark the 250th anniversary of America’s founding and 1776 declaration of independence from Britain.
The plans were submitted for review to the US Commission of Fine Arts, a federal agency charged with advising the president on design matters. Trump fired all members of the board in October and stacked it with allies as he embarks on a series of renovation and building projects across the US capital. Last month, the same agency gave its approval to the design of a commemorative gold coin etched in Trump’s likeness to be minted for the 250th anniversary.
© 2024 AFP
