Workers hang printed tarps over White House North Portico columns

Construction workers began hanging large custom-designed tarps over the North Portico’s white columns at the White House on Thursday. The tarps were printed with the redesigned columns and placed over the actual columns, as shown in photos. Scaffolding has remained in place under the tarps for several days. The renovation aims to repair the stone columns.

Background on the project On Memorial Day, the president inspected the Greek-style Ionic columns for six minutes while returning from Arlington National Cemetery.

projects The White House is also undergoing construction for a new helicopter landing pad on the South Lawn and a state ballroom planned to replace the demolished East Wing. Plans for a 250-foot-tall arch across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial are moving forward.

The Reflecting Pool is being drained after a series of water problems. A federal judge halted a planned two-year closure of the Kennedy Center and ordered removal of the president’s name from the building’s facade, where a white tarp remains over the front sign.