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By Sam Stevenson
Associate News Editor
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President Donald Trump has changed course on his plans for the new and under construction White House ballroom by appointing a new lead architect for the project.
Why It Matters
Trump's $300 million White House ballroom has attracted controversy surrounding the project's scale and impact on national heritage.
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The facility, intended as the largest addition to the White House since the Oval Office, has sparked debate among historians, preservationists, commentators, and the public due to its demolition of the historic East Wing and the bypassing of standard preservation reviews.
What To Know
Trump has selected Shalom Baranes to replace James McCrery II as the chief architect of the planned 90,000-square-foot, gilded ballroom, the White House has now confirmed.
"Shalom is an accomplished architect whose work has shaped the architectural identity of our nation’s capital for decades and his experience will be a great asset to the completion of this project," White House spokesperson David Ingle said.
The proposed ballroom would nearly double the total size of the White House, with demolition works visible from space.
Shalom Baranes Associates, founded in 1981, is recognized for its previous work on government buildings in Washington, including the main Treasury building near the White House, the General Services Administration’s headquarters, and the American Red Cross Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
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Trump’s White House ballroom project has faced heightened scrutiny following aerial images showing the complete demolition of the East Wing, contradicting earlier statements that no existing structure would be removed for the ballroom.
The demolition attracted criticism from Democratic lawmakers, conservationists, and architectural preservation groups.
The BBC reported that Trump leveraged a decades-old exemption, allowing him to bypass the National Historic Preservation Act's standard review for federal properties such as the White House, though previous presidents typically sought voluntary review.
In addition, Trump dismissed all members of the federal Commission of Fine Arts, the body responsible for reviewing both the ballroom project and a proposed 'Arc de Trump' memorial.
What People Are Saying
White House spokesperson David Ingle said: "As we begin to transition into the next stage of development on the White House Ballroom, the administration is excited to share that the highly talented Shalom Baranes has joined the team of experts to carry out President Trump’s vision on building what will be the greatest addition to the White House since the Oval Office–the White House Ballroom.”
Priya Jain, chair of a heritage preservation committee at the Society of Architectural Historians, told the BBC: "In this case, it would have been: do we need such a big ballroom? Should it be smaller? Could it be an extension of the East Wing? Could it have been submerged?... It's the memory. The East Wing is 83 years old. It has assumed a historical importance of its own. I haven't seen much out there about how that was assessed."
Speaking this week, White House visitor Amiah Henry, a student from Sulphur, Louisiana, said: "The tour was significantly longer last year. It's definitely a big change. There was a lot of, like, beauty in the East Wing, and that was my favorite part of the tour. I'm sad I didn't get to see it today, but, you know, what can I do?"
Kevin Heins, a retired military and law enforcement veteran who was also visiting the White House as tours reopened this week, said: "The tour was a little bit shorter, but I think in the long run, with the extension of the ballroom, I think it's going to be a good thing because you won't have to wait outside in tents for events and all that. I just think that, with our country, we should have something nice to host events at the White House."
What Happens Next
With Shalom Baranes now spearheading its design, the White House ballroom project is expected to enter a new phase, potentially easing the timeline delays experienced under previous oversight.
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