After US President Donald Trump paved over the rose garden and paved the Oval Office into the Oval Office and has been drawn to his most dramatic addition to the White House-a new 200 million dollar ballroom, which is to be built next to the east wing of the manor house.
Trump, a former real estate developer, has repeatedly promised to build a “beautiful” ballroom in the White House. In 2016 he offered $ 100 million for the project that the then President had rejected during the early term of Barack Obama.
In a briefing to reporter in the White House on Thursday, press spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said that the “urgently needed and exquisite addition” to the White House will be around 90,000 square foot (8,360 square meters) with a sitting capacity of 650.
Most formal functions of the White House are currently taking place in the Ostozimmer of the White House, where around 200 people can be used. According to Leavitt, the construction is expected to be “long before” in January 2029.
She also said that the president and other donors would pay the renovation work, but refused to give details. The renderings provided by the White House show that the ballroom will be architecturally similar to the rest of the manor house.
Leavitt said the ballroom would be built where the “East Wing is currently”. When asked whether the project completes the section of the White House, she said that the east wing had to be “modernized”.
“The White House has an expansion story to meet the changing needs of the country's managing director,” Leslie Greene Bowman, who served among four presidents of the Committee for the Preservation of the White House, told BBC News.
So what were they?
When and how was the white house built?
The construction of the White House began in 1792, based on a design of the architect James Hoban, born in Ireland. It was built by enslaved workers and European craftsmen and was first occupied by President John Adams in 1800, although it was not yet finished when he was entering.
Subscribe workers were forced to do physically demanding work on the White House, e.g. B. quarry and transport of stone and bricks. They were usually hired by their insurers who were paid for their work.
During the war of 1812 (also known as the second War of Independence), the British armed forces entered Washington in August 1814 and broke the White House on fire.
The reconstruction began almost immediately afterwards under President James Madison, again from Hoban.
President James Monroe moved into the restored building in 1817 and later added South Portico in 1824. The North Portico followed in 1829 during Andrew Jackson's presidency and founded the legendary facade of the White House, as is known today.
Changes were slowly made in the course of the 19th century. Flowing water, gas lighting and furniture were gradually added. In 1891 under President Benjamin Harrison, electricity was installed in the White House.
What changes were made at the White House in the 20th century?
President Theodore Roosevelt made one of the most transformative changes to the building in 1902. He removed the interior in the old Victorian style and moved the presidential offices from the second floor of the residence to a new west wing.
Roosevelt also expanded the state dining room, in which only 40 guests could take place by removing a staircase and increasing the size to a seat capacity of 100.
Roosevelt's renovation work modernized the White House in order to meet the needs of a growing executive department.
In 1909 William Howard Taffeta expanded the west wing of Roosevelt and created the first Oval Office, a symbolic heart of the presidential power.
The biggest changes to the White House came under Harry Truman (President from 1945 to 1953). Truman caught the inside of the building and only left the outer walls, while the workers converted the inner structure with steel beams and concrete floors.
Truman also added a controversial balcony on the second floor on the South Portico, which is sometimes referred to as the “Truman balcony”. Later presidents made subtle, but still meaningful changes to the White House.
John f Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy led a restoration project that concentrated on historical authenticity and renovated rooms with antiques.
In 1969 Richard Nixon added a bowling alley and improved the situation space.
Under Bill Clinton, the White House recorded important technological upgrades, including improved security systems and internet connectivity. George W. Bush renovated the press conference room and restored several historical rooms, including the bedroom from Abraham Lincoln.
Barack Obama Wi-Fi has been installed in the entire White House and in the west wing in recent years. Obama, a lifelong basketball enthusiast, also had part of the existing tennis courts of the White House for Basketball use.
Although there is no official estimate, the cumulative construction costs and renovation costs amount to around $ 250 million (in current dollars conditions). Therefore, the maintenance of the house – and the office – of the US President is associated with a significant price.
What other construction work are underway in Washington, DC?
The timing of the Ballroom project is considerable. A week ago, Trump confiscated in a extensive renovation project carried out by the US Federal Reserve (FED) to criticize the chairman of the central bank, Jay Powell.
Trump recorded the expensive price of the project – about $ 2.5 billion to renovate two buildings from the 1930s. During a rare visit to the president at the central bank headquarters on July 24th, Trump Powell accused of financial mismanagement.
Last month, the Office for Management and Household Director Russell (a Trump -Lannen) Powell accused the “magnificent” renovation of the Fed headquarters in Washington, DC.
Trump has repeatedly demanded that the FED reduce interest rates by 3 percentage points and often increased the possibility of dismissal from Powell, even though the president said he intends not to do so. On July 22, Trump called the Fed Chief as a “Taubkull”.
Despite the pressure of the White House, the Federal Reserve held interest rates on July 30 at 4.25 to 4.50 percent, which corresponds to the expectations of the economists, since the uncertainty of the tariff motifs affects the US economy.