Making Federal Architecture Beautiful Again
Headline: Federal Buildings Required to Favor Classical and Traditional Architecture
What it does: Agencies must prioritize classical and traditional designs for large federal public buildings and direct the agency that manages federal buildings to update procedures to implement this preference.
- Changes design requirements for federal courthouses, agency headquarters, and major public buildings.
- Requires the agency that manages federal buildings to prioritize architects with classical experience.
- Must notify the White House 30 days before approving non-classical designs.
Summary
This order requires federal public buildings to favor classical and traditional architectural styles, making classical design the default in Washington, DC, and preferring such styles for courthouses, agency headquarters, and large projects costing more than $50 million.
It directs the agency that manages federal buildings to update policies, hire and recruit architects experienced in traditional designs, create a senior advisor position, and give weight to traditional experience in competitions and evaluations.
The stated goal is to make public buildings more beautiful, clearly civic, and reflective of American civic ideals.
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