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Trump Administration Proposes 250-Foot Triumphal Arch with Gold Angel for Washington D.C. Area

architecture-design · 2026-04-14

The updated proposal for a 250-foot triumphal arch in Arlington, Virginia, has been presented by the Trump administration to the Commission of Fine Arts, which will conduct a review on April 16. Crafted by Harrison Design, this arch commemorates the Semiquincentennial and features a 60-foot angel coated in gold lacquer, along with the phrase "ONE NATION UNDER GOD." It will include staircases and elevators leading to an upper observation deck, as well as a roundabout for traffic flow. This structure surpasses the height of Brooklyn's 80-foot Grand Army Plaza Arch and exceeds Paris's 160-foot Arc de Triomphe. Trump has referenced "ONE NATION UNDER GOD" in various speeches, including at the National Prayer Breakfast on February 5. Additionally, the CFA will assess a White House Visitor Center and changes to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the same date.

Key facts

  • Updated plans for a triumphal arch were submitted to the Commission of Fine Arts
  • The CFA will review the proposal on April 16
  • The arch would be built in Arlington, Virginia across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.
  • Harrison Design is the architect
  • The arch would rise 250 feet tall
  • A 60-foot gold-lacquered angel would top the arch, facing the Lincoln Memorial
  • The inscription "ONE NATION UNDER GOD" appears on the entablature
  • The arch would be more than three times taller than Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Arch

Entities

Artists

  • Nicolas Leo Charbonneau

Institutions

  • Commission of Fine Arts
  • Harrison Design
  • AECOM
  • White House
  • US Commission of Fine Arts
  • CFA
  • National Capital Planning Commission
  • Sacred Architecture Studio
  • New York Times
  • Dezeen

Locations

  • Arlington
  • Virginia
  • Washington, D.C.
  • Potomac River
  • United States
  • Brooklyn
  • New York
  • Paris
  • France
  • Washington DC
  • USA
  • Arlington Memorial Bridge
  • Arlington National Cemetery

Sources