How Trump’s arch gets classical wrong
Naomi Leigh | The Architects Newspaper | 4th June 2026
The US proposes building an arch to commemorate its 250th anniversary. A classical design seems appropriate, conveying “dignity” and humanity. However, when compared to its inspiration, Paris’ Arc de Triomphe, it is “oversized and visually top-heavy”. A bigger challenge, though, may be civic, not aesthetic. Monuments “are meant to transcend the moment of their creation [but] its scale, its aesthetic choices are inextricably associated with a particular Trumpian vision”.