Trump's New Memorandum Mandates Neoclassical Style for Federal Architecture

On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump released a memorandum called "Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture," instructing federal agencies to favor neoclassical and traditional designs for public structures. This directive reinstates a 2020 executive order that was overturned by Biden in 2021, which criticized Brutalism and Deconstructivism. The memorandum asserts that federal buildings must be "visually identifiable as civic buildings" and honor "regional, traditional, and classical architectural heritage," impacting more than 8,500 buildings overseen by the GSA. While Justin Shubow welcomed the initiative, the American Institute of Architects raised concerns regarding design autonomy. The memorandum calls for recommendations within 60 days, particularly regarding the new FBI headquarters in D.C., which will replace the brutalist J. Edgar Hoover Building. Critics point out the irony of Trump's classical stance in light of his properties' extravagance.