(Washington) Donald Trump has recruited a new architect for his enormous ballroom project at the White House, according to a spokesperson, after the press reported disagreements with the American president.
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The latter, a former real estate developer, determined to leave an indelible mark on the White House, announced at the end of July the construction of a ballroom intended to accommodate up to 1,000 people for various receptions and dinners in honor of foreign dignitaries.
“As we move to the next stage of development, the government is pleased to announce that the highly talented Shalom Baranes has joined the team of experts tasked with realizing President Trump’s vision,” Davis Ingle said in a statement sent to AFP.
A senior US official assured that the original architect, James McCrery, would continue to play an “important advisory role”. “It’s not a replacement, but rather a passing of the baton. »
The project, one of the most ambitious carried out on this famous site in more than a century, has continued to grow. Its estimated budget, financed by private donations, increased from 200 million to 300 million dollars.
While Donald Trump had assured that he would not touch the structure, he demolished an entire section of the White House, the east wing, which notably housed the offices of the first lady.
PHOTO JACQUELYN MARTIN, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Donald Trump had part of the White House demolished to build this room.
Images of the gutted building sparked strong criticism from the Democratic opposition, calling it waste and delusions of grandeur as Americans face a high cost of living.
Since the start of the work, the noise of construction machinery has punctuated the days at the White House, sometimes until late in the evening.
According to the Washington PostDonald Trump and James McCrery disagreed on the size of the building wanted by the president, deemed disproportionate by the architect.
The daily assures, however, that the two men remained on good terms and that the decisive factor was the desire to recruit an architectural firm with more experience of large projects.
Images of the project that have already circulated show a luxurious interior, rich in gilding and chandeliers, reminiscent of the reception room of a golf club owned by the president in Scotland.
The White House recently released the list of donors, from technology giants Amazon, Apple, Google and Meta, to defense heavyweight Lockheed Martin.
Individual donors include the family of Donald Trump’s Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick, as well as twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, made famous by the film “The Social Network” about the birth of Facebook.
The president also assured that he himself participated in the financing.
