Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. referenced a famous quote from Winston Churchill in his dissent regarding a Supreme Court decision announced on Monday. The court ruling permits former President Donald Trump to proceed with constructing a $600 million ballroom in the White House. Roberts quoted Churchill’s assertion from October 1943: “We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us.” This emphasizes the notion that architectural design influences societal values and behaviors.

The construction on this high-profile project was observed on August 19. The symbolism linked to architecture was a focal point in Roberts’ dissent, highlighting the blend of aesthetics and ideals in shaping environments and, subsequently, the people within them.