Calling it “tired, broken and dilapidated,” President Donald Trump has announced plans to close the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for up to two years to undertake what he describes as a major renovation of the national cultural landmark.

The Kennedy Center typically hosts more than 2,000 performances a year across multiple theatres and concert halls. If approved, the two-year shutdown would mark one of the most significant interruptions in the institution’s history. As yet, no plans or rendering of Trump’s vision for the building – originally designed by architect Edward Durell Stone – has been released.

The John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts, Washington DC.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the centre would cease entertainment operations from 4 July, arguing that a complete shutdown would deliver faster and higher-quality results than attempting renovation works around an active performance schedule.

The proposed closure would coincide with preparations for the United States’ 250th anniversary celebrations.

Trump, who now chairs the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees after purging several previous members, described the project as...