As trustees of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and fellows of the American Institute of Architects, we have an alternative view to the Oct. 26 editorial “In defense of the White House ballroom.”

The White House is the most recognized historic place in America. Historic preservation reviews by the National Capital Planning Commission and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, with input from the public, would have made the project better, ensuring that the historic significance of the White House itself is respected.

The proposed ballroom is 90,000 square feet. The massing, height and scale and especially the volume of the new construction will overwhelm the 55,000-square-foot central structure, and disrupt the carefully balanced classical design of the White House, with its East

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