President Trump released a new executive order encouraging a classical style to be the new standard for federal buildings.
The Monday order doesn’t ban modern architecture from being chosen for public buildings, but it does express derision for the style.
“Under the Design Excellence Program, [General Services Administration] has often selected designs by prominent architects with little regard for local input or regional aesthetic preferences,” the order read. “The resulting Federal architecture sometimes impresses the architectural elite, but not the American people who the buildings are meant to serve. Many of these new Federal buildings are not even visibly identifiable as civic buildings.”
Per the order, a new “Council for Improving Federal Civic Architecture” will be formed to update the architectural guidelines set forth by the General Services Administration. The GSA will be required to get input from the public and future staff of a proposed building before a style, or architectural firm is selected.
Many in the architectural community have voiced their displeasure with such an order in the months that it has been in the works. The American Institute of Architects, the Society of Architectural Historians, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation all said they were opposed to an early draft of the order.
“Imposing a preferred architectural style for federal facilities runs counter to our nation’s democratic traditions,” Nevada Democratic Rep. Dina Titus said in a letter to GSA Administrator Emily Murphy. “Attempting to implement this misguided mandate from Washington, D.C., by circumventing Congress and gutting decades of GSA policy and practice without any public notice or hearing is even worse.”
According to the order, the new designs should “uplift and beautify public spaces, inspire human spirit, ennoble the United States, command respect from the general public, and, as appropriate, respect the architectural heritage of the region.”
“Classical and other traditional architecture, as practiced both historically and by today’s architects, have proven their ability to meet these design criteria and to more than satisfy today’s functional, technical, and sustainable needs. Their use should be encouraged instead of discouraged,” the order continued.
