On Thursday, President Trump signed an executive order that designates classical architecture as the “preferred and default” style for federal buildings, marking another effort by Trump to influence government infrastructure.
The directive, captioned “Making Federal Architecture Beautiful Again,” mandates notifications 30 days prior if proposals for federal building designs suggest Brutalist or Deconstructive styles.
The order states, “Federal public buildings should enhance and beautify public spaces, elevate the human spirit, honor the United States, and earn respect from the public,” emphasizing that such buildings should be aesthetically recognizable as civic structures and, where suitable, reflect regional architectural traditions.
“In Washington, D.C., classical architecture will be the default style for federal public buildings unless extraordinary factors require a different style,” the order specifies.
Donald Trump, having a history in real estate, has made several aesthetic modifications to the White House and proposed other changes to government structures in his second term.
Notably, he replaced the grass in the Rose Garden with stone paving to create a patio area reminiscent of his Mar-a-Lago property. Two large flag poles were also installed at the White House, and plans were announced for a large ballroom project estimated to cost around $200 million.
Trump has also made cosmetic changes at the Kennedy Center, and he has previously shared images of what the Eisenhower Executive Office Building would look like if it had a white stone facade.
