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White House East Wing Modernization and State Ballroom
National Capital Regional Office » White House East Wing Modernization and State Ballroom
The White House is the oldest public building in the District of Columbia and has been the home and office of every President of the United States except for George Washington. The White House, including its wings and grounds, serves as the residence of the First Family, offices for the President and staff, and an evolving museum. It sits within Presidents Park, which includes Lafayette Square, the First Division Monument, Sherman Park, and various sites in and around the Ellipse.
The White House itself has expanded since its original construction and has been subject to many major and minor renovations since its first cornerstone was laid in 1792. Although the White House has undergone expansions and many presidents have proposed large changes to the White House, its design remains a timeless representation of stability and resilience in our nation.
Beginning in 1805, various presidents have expanded the colonnade leading to the east of the White House. In 1902, the East Wing colonnade was reconstructed in the same location. During excavations, the contractors found and dug up the original East Wing's foundations (McDonald 2011). The East Wing, as we know it today, includes the colonnade leading to a two-story building that was added to the White House in 1942.
Congress established The White House as a unit of the National Park System in 1961, and it is managed by the National Park Service (NPS) through Presidents Park. The enabling legislation (Pub. L. No. 87-286, 75 Stat. 586 (1961)) states that the NPS will give primary attention to the preservation and interpretation of the museum character of the principal corridor on the ground floor and the principal public rooms on the first floor of the White House. The enabling legislation provides that NPS management of the park shall not conflict with the administration of the Executive Office of the President or with the use and occupancy of the buildings and grounds as the home of the President and his family or his official purposes.
The White House stands as one of the most stunning and historically significant buildings in the world. However, it faces a fundamental limitation: it cannot host large events without resorting to the installation of huge, unsightly tents positioned over 100 yards from the Executive Mansion and within view of visitors to Presidents Park. For 150 years, Presidents, administrations, and White House staff have needed a permanent indoor event space at the White House that can hold substantially more guests than currently allowed.
The continued use of temporary tents and outdoor set-ups for high-profile events has taken a toll on the cultural landscape and architectural integrity of the area. These installations pose threats to vital infrastructure and landscaping, while diminishing the overall visitor experience. During events, large stakes are driven into the ground, risking damage to underground utilities.
Meanwhile, temporary flooring damages the turf, leading to a need for expensive repairs, and the lack of sufficient restrooms adds to the growing urgency to establish a permanent event space and event support facilities. Visual distractions and the aged appearance of these temporary facilities further undermine the experience for visitors to the White House and Presidents Park.
The Comprehensive Design Plan for the White House and Presidents Park (2000) identified the need for expanded event space to address growing visitor demand and provide a venue suitable for significant events. Successive administrations have recognized this need as an ongoing priority. To meet this need, the Executive Office of the President outlined three functional goals for any permanent event space: (1) immediate adjacency to the White House Executive Mansion, (2) a direct ceremonial procession from the East Room into the venue, and (3) enclosed second-story access from the Executive Mansion.
The purpose of the proposed action is to establish a permanent, secure event space within the White House grounds that provides increased capacity for official state functions, eliminates reliance on temporary tents, temporary support facilities, and associated infrastructure strains, and protects the historic integrity and cultural landscape of the White House and its grounds while maintaining a high-quality visitor experience, consistent with essential functional requirements of the Executive Office of the President.
The White House itself has expanded since its original construction and has been subject to many major and minor renovations since its first cornerstone was laid in 1792. Although the White House has undergone expansions and many presidents have proposed large changes to the White House, its design remains a timeless representation of stability and resilience in our nation.
Beginning in 1805, various presidents have expanded the colonnade leading to the east of the White House. In 1902, the East Wing colonnade was reconstructed in the same location. During excavations, the contractors found and dug up the original East Wing's foundations (McDonald 2011). The East Wing, as we know it today, includes the colonnade leading to a two-story building that was added to the White House in 1942.
Congress established The White House as a unit of the National Park System in 1961, and it is managed by the National Park Service (NPS) through Presidents Park. The enabling legislation (Pub. L. No. 87-286, 75 Stat. 586 (1961)) states that the NPS will give primary attention to the preservation and interpretation of the museum character of the principal corridor on the ground floor and the principal public rooms on the first floor of the White House. The enabling legislation provides that NPS management of the park shall not conflict with the administration of the Executive Office of the President or with the use and occupancy of the buildings and grounds as the home of the President and his family or his official purposes.
The White House stands as one of the most stunning and historically significant buildings in the world. However, it faces a fundamental limitation: it cannot host large events without resorting to the installation of huge, unsightly tents positioned over 100 yards from the Executive Mansion and within view of visitors to Presidents Park. For 150 years, Presidents, administrations, and White House staff have needed a permanent indoor event space at the White House that can hold substantially more guests than currently allowed.
The continued use of temporary tents and outdoor set-ups for high-profile events has taken a toll on the cultural landscape and architectural integrity of the area. These installations pose threats to vital infrastructure and landscaping, while diminishing the overall visitor experience. During events, large stakes are driven into the ground, risking damage to underground utilities.
Meanwhile, temporary flooring damages the turf, leading to a need for expensive repairs, and the lack of sufficient restrooms adds to the growing urgency to establish a permanent event space and event support facilities. Visual distractions and the aged appearance of these temporary facilities further undermine the experience for visitors to the White House and Presidents Park.
The Comprehensive Design Plan for the White House and Presidents Park (2000) identified the need for expanded event space to address growing visitor demand and provide a venue suitable for significant events. Successive administrations have recognized this need as an ongoing priority. To meet this need, the Executive Office of the President outlined three functional goals for any permanent event space: (1) immediate adjacency to the White House Executive Mansion, (2) a direct ceremonial procession from the East Room into the venue, and (3) enclosed second-story access from the Executive Mansion.
The purpose of the proposed action is to establish a permanent, secure event space within the White House grounds that provides increased capacity for official state functions, eliminates reliance on temporary tents, temporary support facilities, and associated infrastructure strains, and protects the historic integrity and cultural landscape of the White House and its grounds while maintaining a high-quality visitor experience, consistent with essential functional requirements of the Executive Office of the President.