US President Trump is planning to build a new "Arc de Triomphe" in Washington, the capital, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Photos of a model of the American version of the Arc de Triomphe were revealed for the first time this week. Photos on social platforms show that Trump plans to build a memorial arch at the "Memorial Circle" between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, with sculptures of angels with golden wings and two white eagles installed on the arch. Because the building's style is so similar to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, it has been nicknamed the "Trump Arc de Triomphe" on the Internet.
Justin Schuber, president of the National Civic Association for the Arts, proposed the idea to Trump and his officials earlier this year, and Trump was apparently very interested in the proposal, The Washington Post reported. According to people familiar with the matter, the original plan was to build a temporary memorial arch to coincide with next year's commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. However, White House officials are now considering building a permanent "Arc de Triomphe." Harrison Design architect Nicholas Charbonneau shared an image of the planned arch on Instagram last month, with the caption: "This represents a deeper study of the #America250 Arch."
The idea of building a "Triumph Arch" obviously caters to Trump's architectural preferences. Trump signed an executive order in August called "Make Federal Buildings Beautiful Again," calling for new federal buildings to adopt "classicist and traditionalist" styles, adhering to the spirit of the Capitol or the White House, rather than the Brutalist or modern styles that have been widely used over the past half century.
Architect Eric Jenkins harshly criticized the plan, saying the Arc de Triomphe would "destroy the symbolic connection between the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington Palace and 'the most sacred ground' at Arlington National Cemetery." “This arch would likely obscure the standing flame of President John F. Kennedy, destroying that symbolism…Rather than healing, it would oppress.”
However, the proposal to build an "Arc de Triomphe" has also been welcomed by some architects and Trump allies. Duncan Stroick, a professor of architecture at the University of Notre Dame, said the Memorial Circle is "underused" as a gateway to Washington and that the 250th anniversary provides an opportunity to build "public architecture" that appeals to ordinary Americans. Paul Dance, former chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission, further declared that the Arc de Triomphe "symbolizes courage, symbolizes opening up new horizons, can mark victory, and can also be a gateway to the future."
The plan to build a "Triumph Arch" at the "Memorial Roundabout" was first proposed by art critic Catesby Leigh last year. Earlier this year, he wrote that there is a "clear dead space" between the Arlington Memorial Bridge and Arlington National Cemetery, and that building a beautiful "Arc de Triomphe" will help improve the appearance and long-term development of the area. However, Jenkins said that traffic on Arlington Avenue and Memorial Bridge is very heavy, and building a "triumphal arch" on Memorial Circle will not only not help the public visit, but will also have a negative impact on traffic.
As of now, the White House has not officially announced the construction plan for the "Arc de Triomphe". Since the beginning of the last century, American urban planners have repeatedly discussed building public buildings in and around the "Memorial Circle", but the plans were ultimately never implemented.