(New York) On October 7, while still in Donald Trump’s good graces, Mark Carney and his main lieutenants received a favor from the President of the United States. They were among the first visitors to the Oval Office to see their host’s next architectural project: a triumphal arch similar to that of Place Charles-de-Gaulle in Paris. Canadian Energy Minister Tim Hodgson published a photo on X immortalizing the scene.
Eight days later, in another room of the White House, Donald Trump displayed the model of the project in front of some of the billionaires and business leaders who promised to finance the construction of his ballroom. It showed an arch rising in the middle of Memorial Circle, a roundabout located on the south bank of the Potomac River, between Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, and the Lincoln Memorial, Washington.
PHOTO ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ARCHIVES
Illustrations representing proposed models of the “Arc of Independence” were presented during a dinner organized at the White House on October 15.
The size of the arch remains to be determined, but Donald Trump told his wealthy interlocutors that he preferred a large-scale monument.
The next day, when a journalist asked him for whom the arch would be built, he replied point blank: “Me. »
It was enough for the media to start talking about the “Trump Arc”, which they specify will see the light of day to celebrate the 250e anniversary of the independence of the United States, July 4, 2026.
The model, it should be noted, gives the monument the name “Arc of Independence”.
A quick build?
But how can Donald Trump think of building in just a few months an arch inspired by the Parisian Arc de Triomphe, commissioned by Emperor Napoleon I?er in 1806 and completed 30 years later under the reign of Louis-Philippe?
PHOTO DAVID BOILY, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
The Arc de Triomphe, in Paris, is located at the top of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées.
“You can do almost anything in a year, depending on how you go about it and how much you budget for it,” says Eric Jenkins, an architect and former professor at the University of Maryland and the Catholic University of America in Washington.
“But if he built something out of plaster and wood, like at the 1893 World’s Fair, it could be done in a few months. It would be a theater setting. It would be artificial, pastiche, an ersatz architecture. »
The White House provided no details on the timeline or cost of the project. But she clarified that the idea of this triumphal arch was indeed that of Donald Trump.
It is assumed that he brought it back from France, where he was captivated in 2017 by the July 14 parade on the Champs-Élysées.
Thus, after organizing a military parade last June in Washington for the 250e anniversary of the American army, now he wants his ark.
But he is not the only one who can claim this idea. Catesby Leigh, an architecture critic, has published several calls in recent years to build a triumphal arch in Washington. His most recent appeared last April in the conservative magazine American Mindwhere he immediately recalled the importance of the triumphal arch in the annals of Western architecture and town planning.
American Independence Celebrations
“In Roman times it played a high honorary role, even though most Roman arches commemorated civic achievements and figures rather than military victories,” he wrote.
According to this defender of Confederate heritage, Washington needs a triumphal arch to celebrate the 250e anniversary of the independence of the United States, “an event of universal importance”.
“President Trump has declared his intention to restore the primacy of the classical tradition in Washington’s public architecture. A temporary Independence Arch would be the ideal place to start,” he agreed.
There is not enough time to erect a permanent one by July 4, 2026, but the temporary arch should be considered a precursor, a test run if you will, towards a permanent replacement.
Catesby Leigh, architecture critic, in the magazine American Mind
Last September, Nicolas Leo Charbonneau, associate architect at Harrison Design, contributed to the debate by publishing on X a watercolor rendering of a new triumphal arch standing in the middle of Memorial Circle and topped with two eagles and a golden winged angel.
“America needs a triumphal arch!” », Proclaims the architect in a message accompanying the rendering.
IMAGE FROM COMPTE X BY NICOLAS LEO CHARBONNEAU
Sketch of a triumphal arch at Memorial Circle, Washington
A few days later, Donald Trump posted the same image on Truth Social without any comment.
Symbolic link
Normally, a permanent triumphal arch on the site envisaged by Donald Trump could only see the light of day after a long consultation process.
Of course, the demolition of the East Wing of the White House to make way for an enormous ballroom has already proven that the American president can choose to do as he pleases when it comes to architectural projects.
But the idea of erecting a triumphal arch between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, where the Arlington House, former home of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, is located, poses a problem, according to Eric Jenkins.
“The triumphal arch risks breaking the symbolic link between the Lincoln Memorial and the Arlington House,” explains the architect.
“And this bond is symbolic because it is part of the reconciliation between the North and the South after the Civil War. The Memorial Bridge spans the Potomac, which was the border between the Northern and Southern states. This is the link that could be broken by this monument. Instead of uniting us, this could divide us. »
Question : “Will we really be surprised to soon learn that the ballroom will be named after Trump? », asks Pierre Grégoire.
Answer : Donald Trump denied rumors about the name of his ballroom last Friday before flying to Asia. “I don’t intend to give it my name. It was fake news. We’ll probably call it the “Presidential Ballroom” or something. » The President of the United States also assured that the construction work on this ballroom would have no impact on the East Wing of the White House, which was finally demolished last week.
PHOTO JACQUELYN MARTIN, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Demolition work on the East Wing of the White House on October 23
