Any American recognizes the address 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, in Washington D.C.home to the presidents of United States since 1800, when the nation’s capital was moved from Philadelphia.
Built between 1792 and 1800 by Irish architect James Hoban, it stands in neoclassical style with its distinctive white-painted sandstone façade. It is estimated that its current value is estimated to be around $400 million (372 million euros).The White House is not only the official residence of the President of the United States, but also an emblem of the country’s history and politics. With more than 5,100 square meters of floor space, the building requires 2,159 liters of white paint to maintain its surface. exterior.
The White House complex includes not only the official residence, but also the west wing, east wing and outbuildings. such as the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and Blair House, which serves as a guest residence. The main mansion, known as the official residence, is divided into six levels, from the first floor to the third floor, with two additional subway levels. Each week, up to 30,000 people visit the White House.
The White House complex
At the center of the complex is the official residence, flanked by two wings: the east wing and the west wing. The day-to-day operations of the home are handled by the chief butler, who coordinates the operation of the residence.
The White House has six floors and a floor area of 5,100 square meters, which house. 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, eight staircases and three elevators.. It also has five full-time cooks and a number of facilities including a tennis court, bowling alley, movie theater, jogging track, swimming pool and golf practice area.
The land surrounding the complex covers about 7.3 hectares and are home to specially designed spaces such as the rose garden, several greenhouses and an organic garden. On the south side, there are beehives from which honey is extracted for the First Family and for state dinners.
Inside the building, the White House kitchen staff is trained to serve dinners for 140 guests and prepare appetizers for more than 1,000 people. In addition, the kitchen has two dumbwaiters and a spiral staircase to facilitate the transport of food between floors.
Official residence
The official residence, located in the center of the complex, is the heart of the White House. It is connected to the east and west wings by two colonnades, designed by Thomas Jefferson. In addition to being the place where the president resides, this area houses the main rooms for official ceremonies and events.
On the first floor are important spaces such as the East Room, the Green Room, the Blue Room, the Red Room, as well as the Crossing Room, the Entrance Hall and the Grand Staircase. Also included on the first floor are the diplomatic reception room, the ceremonial dining room, the map room, the room with the Chinese porcelain collection, the Vermeil room, which exhibits a collection of silver tableware and portraits of the first ladies. the library and the main kitchen, as well as some offices. One of the most popular guest attractions is located on this floor, a bowling alley built in 1947 during the Harry Truman administration.
The second floor, which is the family residence, features the yellow oval room, east and west parlors, master bedroom, treaty room, Lincoln bedroom, queens bedroom and two additional bedrooms, plus a smaller kitchen and private dressing room. It also hosts the family dining room, approximately 65 square metersreserved for informal dinners.
Finally, the third floor includes the solarium, the games room (where the swimming pool is located), the gym, a music room, a small dietary kitchen and another living room.
The West Wing
The West Wing is the area where the Oval Office, the president’s office, is located, as well as the offices of his team of senior advisors, with capacity for about 50 employees. This wing also houses the Cabinet Room, where the president holds business meetings and meetings with his Cabinet, as well as the White House Situation Room, the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room and the Roosevelt Room. This area of the complex is home to a dining room operated by the U.S. Navy, with seating for 50 people.. It is not open to the public, but is used for presidential staff and some meetings.
In 2007, the press room was renovated, providing it with fiber optic cables and LCD screens for the presentation of graphics, which cost $8 million (approximately €7.44 million) to refurbish, of which the media contributed $2 million (approximately €1.86 million).
The East Wing
The East Wing of the White House, which adds additional office space, was built in 1942. Over time, it has been primarily used for house the first lady’s offices and staff, as well as the social office. of the White House. Rosalynn Carter, in 1977, was the first to locate her personal office in this wing and formalize the use of the term ‘First Lady’s office’. Its construction, during the World War IIThe purpose of this project was to conceal the construction of a subway emergency bunker, known today as the Presidential Emergency Operations Center.
In this wing are one of the most interesting curiosities of the complex: a movie theater with a capacity for 42 peoplewhere private screenings are held. In addition, on the second floor of the east wing is the graphics and calligraphy office, where a specialized team prepares invitations and cards for formal events.
Other additions
The White House was one of the first government buildings in Washington to be wheelchair accessible. In addition, in 2003, solar thermal heaters were reinstalled, and in 2013, under the leadership of Barack Obama, solar panels were installed at the presidential residence, marking an important advance in environmental sustainability.