What’s Happening: President Donald Trump has signed an executive order making neoclassical architecture the preferred style for federal buildings in Washington. The action stops short of mandating that all new federal buildings are built in a classical style, saying merely that they must be “beautiful.” The order applies to all new federal buildings in Washington, DC, and those outside Washington that cost more than $50 million.
The Download: In February, the Trump administration published a draft executive order, called “Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again,” in which the White House would dictate that all future government structures be designed in the neoclassical style. A jab at modern architecture, the move received condemnation by groups like the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and National Trust for Historic Preservation on the grounds that architecture should be designed for specific communities while protecting the freedom of thought and expression that
The Federal Building and Courthouse in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Timothy Hursley
President Trump, a former builder, signed an executive order Monday intended to promote neo-classical architecture as the official style for federal buildings in Washington, DC., and at new federal courthouses elsewhere.
The order defines classical as including Neoclassical, Georgian, Greek Revival, Gothic and other traditional styles
. It also establishes a new President s Council on Improving Federal Civic Architecture, which is intended to ensure proposed federal buildings are beautiful and reflective of the dignity, enterprise, vigor, and stability of the American system of self-government.
The order cites ancient Greece, ancient Rome and language from the constitution of the Italian city of Siena in 1309 as preferred models.
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Updated at 12:30pm ET
Back in February, President Trump set the architectural world reeling with a call for traditional designs for new federal buildings. He proposed an executive order, called “Make Federal Buildings Beautiful Again,” which took an out-with-the-new, in-with-the-old approach to architecture, calling modern federal buildings constructed over the last five decades “undistinguished,” “uninspiring” and “just plain ugly.”
That proposed order is now a reality. Retitled “Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture,” it begins with a paean to “beautiful public architecture,” before moving on to a litany of disapproval aimed at modernist federal buildings.
It’s true that modernism abounds in D.C. Standing on a street corner near the National Mall, there’s actually a mishmash of architectural styles. Let’s talk about three of them: In the distance, the gleaming white pillars of the U.S. Capitol dome, the kind of classical architect
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The Hunger Games. Ugly, Discordant : New Executive Order Takes Aim At Modern Architecture Dec 21, 2020
Updated at 12:30pm ET
Back in February, President Trump set the architectural world reeling with a call for traditional designs for new federal buildings. He proposed an executive order, called Make Federal Buildings Beautiful Again, which took an out-with-the-new, in-with-the-old approach to architecture, calling modern federal buildings constructed over the last five decades undistinguished, uninspiring and just plain ugly.
That proposed order is now a reality. Retitled Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture, it begins with a paean to beautiful public architecture, before moving on to a litany of disapproval aimed at modernist federal buildings.
Updated at 12:30pm ET
Back in February, President Trump set the architectural world reeling with a call for traditional designs for new federal buildings. He proposed an executive order, called Make Federal Buildings Beautiful Again, which took an out-with-the-new, in-with-the-old approach to architecture, calling modern federal buildings constructed over the last five decades undistinguished, uninspiring and just plain ugly.
That proposed order is now a reality. Retitled Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture, it begins with a paean to beautiful public architecture, before moving on to a litany of disapproval aimed at modernist federal buildings.
It s true that modernism abounds in D.C. Standing on a street corner near the National Mall, there s actually a mishmash of architectural styles. Let s talk about three of them: In the distance, the gleaming white pillars of the U.S. Capitol dome, the kind of classical architecture the president s order favors. Close