Donald Trump makes classical style "preferred architecture" for federal buildings

US president Donald Trump has signed the Making Federal Architecture Beautiful Again executive order to make classical architecture the preferred style for new civic buildings in the USA.

Signed yesterday, the executive order aims to make traditional and classical the preferred styles for new Federal buildings across the US.

"The policy shall be to provide requisite and adequate facilities in an architectural style and form that is distinguished and that will reflect the dignity, enterprise, vigor, and stability of the American government," said Trump in the executive order.

"Because of their proven ability to meet these requirements, classical and traditional architecture are preferred modes of architectural design. "

"It is time to update the policies guiding Federal architecture"

The order builds on the Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture executive order, which Trump signed on his first day back in office and requested suggestions on how to update the US government's Guiding principles for federal architecture.

The Making Federal Architecture Beautiful Again executive order, which echoes the aims of the Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture issued by Trump in his first term as president, amends these principals.

"It is time to update the policies guiding Federal architecture to address these problems and ensure that architects designing Federal buildings serve their clients, the American people," said the order.

The order, which applies to all Federal courthouses and agency headquarters as well as Federal public buildings that cost more than $50 million, requires the buildings to be "visually identifiable as civic buildings".

"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," said the order.

"They should also be visually identifiable as civic buildings and, as appropriate, respect regional architectural heritage," it continued. "Architecture – particularly traditional and classical architecture – that meets the criteria set forth in this subsection is the preferred architecture for applicable Federal public buildings."

"This preference does not exclude the possibility of alternative styles"

Although traditional and classical architecture are preferred, the order makes clear that in some cases exceptions may be made.

"This preference does not exclude the possibility of alternative styles in appropriate circumstances," it said. "Major emphasis should be placed on the choice of designs that embody architectural excellence."

However, in these cases the General Services Administration (GSA), which oversees Federal buildings, would be required to inform the president.

Government will "actively recruit"studios with classical experience

The order also places an emphasis on design contests for major buildings that take into account the "advice of distinguished architects practiced in classical or traditional architecture".

For these competitions, the GSA would be required to "actively recruit" studios with experience of working in classical styles and encourage designs by these studios to progress to the final stage.

"Where GSA intends to select a building design pursuant to a design competition, the administrator shall actively recruit architectural firms and, as applicable, designers with experience in classical and traditional architecture to enter such competition and shall, to the extent practicable, ensure that multiple designs in such modes are advanced to the final evaluation round," said the order.

The order also makes special reference to Washington DC saying only classical, and not traditional, architecture will be preferred in the city.

"In the District of Columbia, classical architecture shall be the preferred and default architecture for Federal public buildings absent exceptional factors necessitating another kind of architecture," it stated.

Trump recently announced that he was planning to replace the East Wing of the White House with a classical ballroom designed by McCrery Architects.

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