President Donald Trump has brought in a new architect for the planned White House ballroom after disagreements with the original designer.
A senior White House official said McCrery Architects and its CEO, James McCrery, clashed with the president over the project’s scope, especially the ballroom’s size. The official said the firm is no longer leading the work. However, two other White House officials denied he was removed, saying McCrery will stay on as a consultant.
The new lead firm taking on the project is Shalom Baranes Associates, a Washington, D.C.–based architecture company known for designing the General Services Administration’s national headquarters, according to its website.
In his second term, Trump has launched some of the most ambitious changes the White House has ever seen, with one of them being the US$200-million, privately-funded expansion of the East Wing, which will include a 650-person capacity state ballroom.
However, this isn’t the first time he has made changes. During his first term as president, Trump made his mark on the building, as did many of the presidents who came before him. Click on to take a look back at the presidents who have made the most significant changes to the White House.