President Trump signed Thursday an executive order ensuring federal buildings “uplift and beautify public spaces, inspire the human spirit, ennoble the United States, and command respect from the general public.” The architecture that best accomplishes this goal is Classical architecture, that is, architecture derived from ancient Greece and Rome.
At the outset of the executive order, titled “Making Federal Architecture Beautiful Again,” a description of American history with Classical architecture is provided. An emphasis on the significance of this style on Americans is made by the White House in the order.
“The Founders, in line with great societies before them, attached great importance to Federal civic architecture. They wanted America’s public buildings to inspire the American people and encourage civic virtue. President George Washington and Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson consciously modeled the most important buildings in Washington, D.C., on the classical architecture of ancient Athens and Rome. They sought to use classical architecture to visually connect our contemporary Republic with the antecedents of democracy in classical antiquity, reminding citizens not only of their rights but also their responsibilities in maintaining and perpetuating its institutions,” the order said.
The order also has a provision that requires departments that seek to use non-classical architecture to notify the President 30 days in advance of the intention for approval. Brutalist and Deconstructivist architecture are mentioned specifically, two modernist styles that depart from the classical architecture tradition. Brutalism is known for emphasizing complete simplicity and utility over ornamentation for buildings, ensuring that a building’s appearance is as close to its functionality as possible. Deconstructivism aims for a building that looks deliberately fragmented or incomplete. These styles are described as unpopular with the public by the White House.
These departments, further, must provide explanation as to why these non-Classical designs are “justified, with particular focus on whether such design is as beautiful and reflective of the dignity, enterprise, vigor, and stability of the American system of self-government as alternative designs using preferred architecture.”
The order also establishes a “senior advisor for architectural design, for an individual with specialized experience in classical architecture,” who will oversee the General Services Administration, which is charged with federal architecture projects
This initiative is not new for President Trump. In 2020, he signed a similar executive order of “Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture,” which President Biden rescinded the following year.
