Architects Criticize Trump Admin's Proposal to Replace White House Columns

The administration wants to swap out the iconic North Portico columns with more ornate Corinthian-style architecture.

Mar. 15, 2026 at 12:40pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Trump administration is proposing to replace the columns at the White House's front entrance, known as the North Portico, with more ornate Corinthian-style columns. This suggestion has left several architects and designers 'baffled or even horrified', with critics calling the idea 'completely inappropriate' and 'absurd' for the historic building.

Why it matters

The White House's iconic columns have stood for nearly 200 years, and any changes to the building's architecture are highly controversial and seen as disrespecting its historic preservation. Architects warn that replacing the columns would fundamentally alter the appearance and character of the White House's front entrance.

The details

Rodney Mims Cook Jr., who Trump appointed to lead the Commission of Fine Arts, is 'proposing' the column replacement, stating that Corinthian columns are 'the highest order' and should be used since they are featured on other government buildings. However, architects like Bruce Redman Becker and Steven Semes have strongly criticized the idea, calling it 'completely inappropriate' and saying it would make the White House a 'completely absurd animal'.

  • The Trump administration is currently considering the proposal to replace the White House's iconic North Portico columns.

The players

Rodney Mims Cook Jr.

The architect appointed by President Trump to lead the Commission of Fine Arts and who is proposing to replace the White House's columns.

Bruce Redman Becker

An architect and former member of the Commission of Fine Arts under President Biden, who criticized the proposal as 'completely inappropriate'.

Steven Semes

An architect and professor at the University of Notre Dame's School of Architecture, who called the proposal 'completely absurd'.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Corinthian is the highest order [of column], and that's what our other two branches of government have. Why the White House didn't originally use them, at least on the north front, which is considered the front door, is beyond me.”

— Rodney Mims Cook Jr., Architect, Commission of Fine Arts (The Washington Post)

“It is a completely inappropriate idea and at odds with universally held historic preservation standards.”

— Bruce Redman Becker, Architect, former Commission of Fine Arts member (The Washington Post)

“It's like surgically adding or removing a couple of inches to one of your legs, thinking that you could still walk. It becomes a very different animal. And it becomes a completely absurd animal.”

— Steven Semes, Architect, University of Notre Dame (The Washington Post)

What’s next

The White House has stated that no plans currently exist to replace the columns, and Cook Jr.'s proposal has not yet been presented to President Trump.

The takeaway

The Trump administration's proposal to replace the iconic columns at the White House's front entrance has sparked outrage among architects and designers, who warn that such a change would fundamentally alter the historic character of the building and go against preservation standards. This controversy highlights the sensitivity around any potential modifications to the White House's architecture.