The height of America's "Arc de Triomphe" has been reduced by 8 feet, and the marble favored by Trump has been replaced with granite.
Four lions have also been removed, as they are not native species to the U.S.!
CNN in the United States published an article on May 21.
The revised design for the construction of the world’s tallest arch in America has been approved.
In the updated design, the overall height of the structure has been reduced due to the removal of the 8-foot base present in the earlier version submitted to the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA).
The previous plan would have raised the monument’s total height above 280 feet, but now it has been lowered to 272 feet.
The four golden lions originally placed on both sides at the base of the arch have been removed, as lions “are not native species to the United States.”
Despite extremely negative public reaction to the project, it has still been approved and pushed through at an unprecedented speed.
Trump welcomed the news of the project’s approval by the committee, telling reporters it was “fantastic.”
In the latest proposal, granite will be used instead of the marble that Trump most favored as the exterior material.
Modeled after Paris’s Arc de Triomphe, this arch is one of several personal projects proposed by Trump to reshape the capital’s style.
The arch is planned to be built on the roundabout between the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial, intended to commemorate the U.S. 250th anniversary celebration, which will take place in July.
As in previous committee meetings, members of the public who were granted speaking opportunities—including professional preservationists, historians, and civic groups—delivered harsh criticism of the project.
They expressed concerns over the location, height, design, and lack of proper approval procedures.
Since the last public comment period, the CFA has received 600 new public comments.
The committee acknowledged that 99.5% of them were negative.
CNN previously reported that the Department of the Interior had requested a formal aviation study from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to determine whether the arch poses a hazard to flight—a concern also raised by a member of the public.
The arch is facing a legal challenge from a Vietnam War veterans’ group due to its size and the issue of obstructing views of Arlington National Cemetery, and it has drawn criticism from historians and heritage conservationists.
Nevertheless, the government says it plans to use a little-known century-old authorization to bypass congressional approval.
On Thursday, Trump told reporters he did not need congressional approval, stating: “We’re moving forward. This land… is under the Department of the Interior—we don’t need any approval from Congress.”
Netizens joked: “The number 250 doesn’t seem lucky either—was it really necessary?”
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1865842986068995/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.