Trump's gilded palace of sin: a monstrosity ignoring decades of design principles

Experts are sounding the alarm on the hasty plans for President Trump's sprawling new East Wing addition to the White House, warning it's a poorly conceived monstrosity that disregards decades of design principles in the nation's capital.

Construction timeline raises red flags

The administration's accelerated timeline, aiming to start building in the spring, would have construction documents prepared even as the design remains under review. This has raised eyebrows among architects and historians, who say such a large project typically takes 18 months to two years from initial concept to finished documents.

The proposed East Wing is a whopping 60% larger than the White House residence by floor area, and more than triple that in cubic volume thanks to the massive ballroom's vaulted ceiling. Seen from the south, the ballroom will dominate the White House complex with its imposing portico and lopsided appearance disrupting any symmetry with the West Wing.

Other supersized features include the commercial kitchen and first lady's office suite on the lower level, as well as a colonnade with masonry niches resembling windows on the second floor - except they overlook a row of bathroom stalls.

This appears to be just the beginning of Trump's efforts to leave an architectural legacy across Washington, D.C., much like his predecessor Ronald Reagan. While Reagan at least allowed others to aggrandize him, Trump seems intent on crowning himself with monument after monument.

With the construction timeline already in motion, experts are left wondering what other hasty decisions may be lurking in the wings.