President Donald Trump has signed an executive order requiring new federal buildings in the United States to adopt classical or traditional architectural styles. The directive, issued on 28 August 2025, aims to make civic architecture "beautiful again" by discouraging Brutalist, deconstructivist and other modernist approaches.
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The order, titled "Making Federal Architecture Beautiful Again," establishes Neoclassical, Beaux-Arts, Federal, Greek Revival, Gothic and Spanish Colonial as the preferred styles for federal projects costing more than $50 million. Any deviations must be justified and reported to the President.
Supporters, including Justin Shubow of the National Civic Art Society, hail the move as "a decisive step in bringing beauty back into the public domain." Critics, however, warn that the policy could stifle innovation and neglect sustainability and functionality. Architectural historian Cameron Logan noted that excluding modernist solutions could affect building performance.
The decision also challenges the Design Excellence Program, introduced in 1994 to promote contemporary architecture through open competitions. The initiative is part of Trump's wider cultural agenda, which has favoured traditional aesthetics in public institutions.
The order applies primarily to Washington, D.C., but its influence is expected to extend to federal projects nationwide.
Source: www.archiportale.com
