 Since that time, and until construction started in 2004, parts of the building design were changed many times, largely due to security considerations and the sometimes conflicting wishes of the Berlin government to retain free public access around all buildings on the Pariser Platz site.Delays in funding by the U.S. Congress further delayed construction, and the project languished for a time.Nevertheless, waivers to U.S. government security standards were in place virtually from the beginning.