Trump pushes ‘magic paint’ makeover for Eisenhower building, as it lacks ‘symbolic cohesion’ with White House

President Donald Trump has proposed repainting the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB) beside the White House in solid white, replacing its slate gray exterior. The building, which houses offices for presidential staff, would be coated with what Trump reportedly described as a “magic paint with silicate."

As per CNN citing a document that details results of an expert analysis conducted by a preservationist group, Donald Trump has privately claimed the “magic paint” would “strengthen the stone, keep water out, prevent staining, be easy to apply, and rarely require painting.”

Trump’s magic paint proposal heads to review panel

Renderings submitted to the Commission of Fine Arts, which oversees changes to federal buildings. On Thursday, April 16, the Commission will review and comment on the plans.

The EEOB “has been largely neglected since its construction in the late 1800s,” the White House said in the materials sent to the commission ahead of Thursday’s meeting, pointing to staining on the granite, abrasions and cracks from “years of poor or non-existent exterior maintenance, and general disregard.”

Architectural concerns cited

Another argument in the proposal centers on the building’s French Second Empire style, which it says clashes with the surrounding "neoclassical federal architecture," particularly the White House.

"The color, design, and massing of the existing structure does not align visually with the surrounding architecture and lacks any symbolic cohesion with the White House," the proposal says.

Two design options presented

The proposal sets out two alternatives: a full white repaint of the structure or a partial repaint that leaves the exposed basement and sub-basement in original granite.

About the Eisenhower Executive Office Building

The Eisenhower Executive Office Building is located next to the West Wing and houses a majority of offices for White House staff. It was originally built for the state, war, and navy departments between 1871 and 1888.

The granite, slate, and cast iron exterior, designed by Supervising Architect of the Treasury Alfred Mullett, makes the EEOB one of America's best examples of the French Second Empire style of architecture. It took 17 years for Mullett's masterpiece to finally be completed.