The State Dining Room in the White House seats 140. The larger East Room, at the same density, would seat about 240. A reasonable size for a new, third dining room, let’s call it the Banqueting Hall, would be large enough to seat, say, 500. Assuming a two-square plan, that would be a room 55 by 110 feet, which happens to be about the same size as Inigo Jones Banqueting House in Whitehall. That room is a double cube, which is one of the things that makes it so beautiful (see above). The White House Banqueting Hall would need a 55 foot ceiling, and be designed to be likewise an exquisite jewel. That would in part justify the unpardonable demolition of the East Wing.
