President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday mandating classical architecture for federal buildings, reversing modernist trends that have dominated government construction since the 1960s.
The order requires new courthouses and federal offices to embrace traditional design that “uplifts and beautifies public spaces, ennobles our Nation, and commands respect from the general public.”
The directive marks Trump’s latest effort to reshape Washington’s aesthetic landscape. It fulfills a campaign promise to “get rid of ugly buildings … and return to the magnificent classical style of Western civilization.”
Classical architecture will serve as the preferred style for all federal buildings, especially in Washington, D.C. Designs departing from traditional styles must still “convey the dignity, enterprise, vigor, and stability of the American government.”
The General Services Administration will implement the new standards. Officials must notify the president when proposed designs embrace Brutalist, Deconstructivist, or other modernist styles.
Trump previously issued a similar order in 2020 titled “Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture.” President Biden rescinded it in 2021.
The administration frames the policy as honoring the Founding Fathers’ vision. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson personally guided designs for the Capitol Building and White House.
Federal architecture shifted toward modernist and Brutalist styles in the 1960s. The White House characterizes this change as “deeply unpopular” with taxpayers.
The order requires federal buildings to be “visually identifiable as civic buildings” while respecting regional architectural heritage. It establishes processes ensuring that architects with appropriate training participate in building design.
Trump has pursued multiple initiatives targeting public aesthetics since January. These include protecting monuments from vandalism and reviving the National Garden of American Heroes.
He signed orders to make Washington, D.C. “safe and beautiful” in March and August. Another July order aimed to “make national parks great again” by increasing conservation revenue.
The president also launched the Great American State Fair and America 250 Commission. An August order addressed flag desecration, seeking to “restore respect, pride, and sanctity to the American flag.”
