Trump aide wants Washington NFL stadium to incorporate "neoclassical elements"

National Capital Planning Commission chairman Will Scharf has suggested the planned stadium by architecture studio HKS for the NFL team Washington Commanders should have a "classical" design.

According to reporting by Washington Business Journal, Scharf said the stadium should incorporate "architectural features in keeping with the capital more generally – classical, neoclassical elements that will align it with the capital that it will essentially overlook".

Scharf was appointed by president Donald Trump to run the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), which oversees development in the National Capital Region, in July 2025.

Arenas of antiquity

"I think really going back to classical antiquity, arenas and stadiums have played a vital role in the urban cityscape," Scharf reportedly said.

"I think there were several decades in American history where we unfortunately really got away from that, much to the detriment of the fan experience."

The Washington Commanders stadium, which is currently being designed, is planned for a site within the National Capital Region currently occupied by the RFK Stadium (pictured). However, the proposed site is administered by the DC Council after legislation transferred jurisdiction from the National Park Service in order for the redevelop to occur.

This means that while the land is federally owned out is administered by the district. The redevelopment will not use federal funds and the district will lease the site to the team.

Because the stadium falls outside of DC's Central Area, the NCPC does not need to approve the development, but instead plays an advisory role. Scharf reportedly did not issue any formal recommendations on the design.

"The Commission anticipates reviewing the stadium project at an upcoming meeting where an official action will be taken," an NCPC spokesperson told Dezeen.

The gesture towards classical design fits in with the broader position the Trump administration has taken towards the capital and towards federal architecture in general. In August 2025, Trump signed the Making Federal Architecture Beautiful Again executive order, mandating "classical" and "traditional" architecture as the preferred style for federal building projects.

The president has taken a personal stake in the new stadium and suggested that the stadium be named after him. However, naming rights ultimately stay with the team.

A civic landmark

HKS was selected by the Washington Commanders in November as lead architect for the roofed, 65,000-seat stadium and development of the surrounding site. It will replaced the 64-year old RFK Stadium designed by George Leighton Dahl.

"The stadium is also envisioned as a civic landmark for Washington, DC, with monumental architecture and vibrant public spaces that come alive on game days and throughout the year," said HKS in a release at the time.

"Together, the stadium and new surrounding district will reconnect the city to the Anacostia River, catalyze investment on the city's east side and create a destination for residents and visitors that thrives beyond game day."

HKS has yet to release official designs for the stadium, with an announcement expected soon.

The studio said that it will host additional community engagement meetings, with construction planned to commence in 2027 ahead of an opening in 2030. The Washington Commanders are currently playing at a stadium in Maryland.

Recent stadium designs by HKS have been extremely modern in form, including SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, which hosts the NFL teams the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers.

Classical details on stadiums are not unheard of, with Chicago's Soldier Field featuring colonnades from its original design.

The photo of RFK Stadium is by Duane Lempke Photography.

The post Trump aide wants Washington NFL stadium to incorporate "neoclassical elements" appeared first on Dezeen.