Sitting U.S. President Donald Trump has issued an executive order calling for the exclusive use of classical architecture for all new federal buildings. In his eyes, traditional design elements offer more beauty than the modernist style, which has been heavily adopted in recent decades.

The order states that “Applicable Federal public buildings should uplift and beautify public spaces, inspire the human spirit, ennoble the United States, and command respect from the general public. They should also be visually identifiable as civic buildings and, as appropriate, respect regional architectural heritage.”
Although he didn’t go so far as to eliminate modernist design from the options, it has been reported that early drafts did ban it outright. In the order released on December 21st, 2020, the outgoing president’s proposal defines classical architecture as “the architectural tradition derived from the forms, principles, and vocabulary of the architecture of Greek and Roman antiquity” and refers to “such styles as Neoclassical, Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, Beaux-Arts, and Art Deco.” To ensure the transition fueled by the executive order, a new Council for Improving Federal Architecture is being established. This council will in turn update the guidelines for the General Services Administration (GSA), who is in charge of overseeing the construction and renovation of all federal buildings. In addition to working with the new co...