US President Donald Trump has hired a new architect to implement his ambitious project for a ballroom in the White House, Agence France-Presse reported. According to media reports, Trump took this step after disagreements with his previous chief architect over the size of the hall, BTA writes.
At the end of July, the American president announced his idea to build a ballroom in the White House that would accommodate up to 1,000 people and be used for various receptions in honor of foreign dignitaries, as well as for charity dinners.
The new architect appointed by Trump is Shalom Baranes. He will join the team of experts tasked with realizing the US president's vision, said a statement from the spokesman for the Belgian House of Representatives, David Ingle. The previous chief architect, James McCreary, will continue to play a "significant advisory role", the statement also said.
The estimated budget for the construction of the massive hall, financed by private donations, has already reached $ 300 million. The list of donors includes technology giants "Amazon", "Apple", "Google" and "Meta", as well as the defense company "Lockheed Martin." Individual donors include the family of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. President Trump said he himself had also contributed to the financing.
Despite his assurances that no changes would be required to the structure of the White House, Trump demolished its entire East Wing, which housed the first lady's offices. Photos of the destroyed building have drawn sharp criticism from the Democratic Party. Democrats have called Trump's project a "waste" of funds and "megalomania" amid high inflation, AFP recalls.
The Washington Post reported that Donald Trump and architect James McCreery had a disagreement over the size of the building. The architect believed that if the hall were built as Trump wanted, it would be disproportionate. However, the two remained on good terms, and the decisive factor in the appointment of a new architect was the president's desire to hire an architectural firm with more experience in large-scale construction projects.