Critics say adding Trump's arch to D.C. would take something away: the view

Article excerpt

President Trump has proposed adding a monumental arch to Washington, D.C., positioned between the Lincoln Memorial and the Arlington House (home of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee). Critics argue the structure would obstruct a symbolic sightline between the two landmarks, one representing abolition, the other the Confederacy, that currently conveys a message of historical reconciliation and unity. The debate pits architectural ambition against preservation of an existing visual narrative about the nation's past.