President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday setting “beautiful” as the standard for new federal buildings constructed in D.C., making classical architecture the preferred style.
As defined by the order, “classical” encompasses Neoclassical, Georgian, Greek Revival, Gothic styles, among others. Among the classical buildings in the District are the White House, the Supreme Court, the Treasury Building, and others, which the order says “have become iconic symbols of our system of government.”
The order would only mandate the style for federal buildings in the District, and would not apply to Smithsonian museums, per NPR.
The action has been in the works for months, with many architects voicing their disapproval in February of an early draft titled, “Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again,” that would have mandated all future government buildings in the District be designed in the classical style as a default.
“Architecture should be designed for the specific communities that it serves, reflecting our rich nation’s diverse places, thought, culture, and climates,” the American Institute of Architects said in a statement at the time, opposing uniform style rules. “Architects are committed to honoring our past as well as reflecting our future progress, protecting the freedom of thought and expression that are essential to democracy.”
That early draft and the subsequent order echo the views of the National Civic Art Society, a nonprofit that considers modern architecture a failure. The organization’s president also sits on the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts as an appointee of Trump’s.
The group criticized the Brutalist style seen throughout the District on its website, in addition to Deconstructivist designs like the U.S. Federal Building in San Francisco. The order signed Monday similarly takes aim at the two styles.
Marion Smith, who chairs the National Civic Art Society, defended the move in February, saying the leaked draft caused “some overreactions.”
“This is not an authoritarian move here, and it’s disappointing that that’s been some of the reactions so far,” he told DCist in an interview at the time. “It doesn’t really establish a rigid program for all GSA buildings. It does establish a committee to make recommendations that will bring in more stakeholders.”
Monday’s order also established the President’s Council on Improving Federal Civic Architecture. The council will be tasked with ensuring that proposed federal buildings are “beautiful and reflective of the dignity, enterprise, vigor, and stability of the American system of self-government,” and submit a report recommending updates to the General Services Administration’s policies.
The council will disband on Sept. 30, 2021 — unless extended by the president — and will submit its report before then. It is unclear whether incoming President-elect Joe Biden’s administration will act on these recommendations.
