To the editor: Please, Mr. President, you can do better than this gaudy monstrosity of a “Triumphal Arch” (“Federal agency approves concept for Trump’s plan for ‘Triumphal Arch’ in Washington,” April 16). It is nothing more than an enlarged version of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris at 86 feet higher.
The Paris original is at a monumental central site in the City of Lights. Great for both pedestrians and vehicles alike. President Trump’s proposed site — well, not so much.
The proposed copy, as depicted in the renderings, shows the main central arch to be way too narrow compared to the supporting side structures. In architectural school, we learned to always consider proportion while designing.
Since the proposed site is some distance from the traditional, classic, formal buildings in central Washington, something more interesting and exciting could have been considered. The Gateway Arch in St. Louis comes to mind.
The Paris triumphal arch was built to commemorate a French military victory. It appears Trump’s arch is meant to do the same.
Dick Helmuth, Costa Mesa
This writer is an architect.