US President Donald Trump ordered all new federal buildings to be built in ancient Greek and Roman architecture style “to visually connect our contemporary Republic with the antecedents of democracy.”
In an executive order entitled “Making Federal Architecture Beautiful Again,” the president urges architects and engineers who will design federal buildings from now on, to make them using as a blueprint the monumental ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The aim is for federal buildings to bring to mind the birth of democracy and establishment of the United States based on those ideals, just as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson modeled the Capitol Building and the White House.
The order begins with the purpose of the change, as described below:
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.
Washington and Jefferson personally oversaw the competitions to design the Capitol Building and the White House. Under the direction and following the vision of these two Founders, Pierre Charles L’Enfant designed the Nation’s capital as a classical city. For approximately a century and a half following America’s founding, America’s Federal architecture continued to be characterized by beautiful and beloved buildings of largely, though not exclusively, classical design.
Other than ancient Greek and Roman styles, Classical architecture refers to the tradition derived from these origins and later developed by Renaissance architects such as Michelangelo; Enlightenment masters like Robert Adam; 19th-century figures such as Benjamin Henry Latrobe; and 20th-century practitioners including John Russell Pope, Julia Morgan, and the firm of Delano and Aldrich. Classical architecture encompasses a range of styles, including Neoclassical, Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, Beaux-Arts, and Art Deco.
“Undistinguished” and “unappealing” GSA designs
According to the purpose of the order, from the 1960s and on, designers of new federal buildings, overseen by the General Services Administration (GSA), started making constructions in “modernist and brutalist” style that a large number of Americans found unappealing.
Even though the GSA responded to criticism by establishing the Design Excellence Program in 1994, the order continues, the new federal buildings often failed to fulfill their intended purpose. Many of them “were not even visibly identifiable as civic buildings.”
The policy dictates 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. Architecture—particularly traditional and classical architecture—that meets the criteria set forth in this subsection is the preferred architecture for applicable Federal public buildings.”
If the design of a new federal building diverges from the ancient Greek or Roman style, it should “command respect from the general public and clearly convey to the general public the dignity, enterprise, vigor, and stability of America’s system of self-government.”
The order applies to all federal courthouses and agency headquarters; all federal public buildings in the National Capital Region; and all other Federal public buildings that cost or are expected to cost over $50 million in 2025 dollars to design, build, and finish. The order does not include infrastructure projects.
Guiding principles for federal architecture based on ancient Greek and Roman style
The executive departments and agencies should practicably adhere to the following three principles:
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Architectural quality and style: The policy shall provide necessary and adequate facilities in a distinguished architectural style and form that reflects the dignity, enterprise, vigor, and stability of the US government. Classical and traditional architecture are the preferred modes. Alternative styles may be used in appropriate circumstances, with emphasis placed on designs that embody architectural excellence.
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Design based on needs and public aspirations: Design must stem from the needs of the government and aspirations and preferences of the American people, rather than being dictated to the architectural profession. “The advice of distinguished architects practiced in classical or traditional architecture should, as a rule, be sought prior to the award of important design contracts.”
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Site selection and integration: The choice and development of the building site should be made in cooperation with local agencies. Federal buildings should be integrated into the general combination of streets and public spaces. Where possible, buildings should be located on spacious sites to allow for landscape development.
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