A chunk of ceiling in the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Grand Foyer collapsed Friday evening amid heavy rain in Washington, D.C. No one was injured in the incident.

The collapse occurred around 5 p.m. on Friday in the main hallway connecting the center's three primary performance spaces. Photos showed a hole in the high ceiling and debris scattered across the red carpet. Kennedy Center officials immediately closed the main building for the rest of Friday.

The Grand Foyer remained closed through the weekend for assessment and repairs, while the rest of the building was scheduled to reopen for normal operations on Saturday. Officials attributed the failure to water damage from recent storms combined with long-standing structural issues.

Kennedy Center Vice President of Public Relations Roma Daravi issued a statement linking the event to broader maintenance problems. "Another example of the urgent need to close for renovation and revitalization, as our Chairman President Trump has championed," Daravi said. "This structural failure stems from decades of neglect and deferred maintenance by the previous leadership, and there’s no justification for further delays in restoring America’s cultural center."

The incident has intensified calls from the center's board to proceed with a planned two-year closure for approximately $250 million in renovations. President Trump, who serves as chairman, has advocated for the overhaul and has tied it to efforts to add his name to the building's facade.

The board's plans face ongoing legal challenges in federal court, where disputes center on the scope of the closure and naming rights. The partial collapse comes as the center argues that further delays risk additional safety issues.

Internal communications obtained by news outlets confirmed the restricted access to the Grand Foyer while crews evaluate the damage. The center has not provided a timeline for full reopening of the affected area.

This event follows reports of prior concerns about the aging infrastructure at the performing arts venue, which has operated without major comprehensive renovations in recent decades.