Biden revokes Trump's decree mandating neoclassical federal buildings

The Joe Biden administration’s sweeping overhaul of Donald Trump ’s measures also comes through art: the new U.S. president has in fact rescindedTrump’s executive order mandating the adoption of a neoclassical style to newly constructed federal buildings.

The order, titled Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again, stipulated that “architectural styles, with special regard to the classical style, that enhance beauty, respect regional architectural heritage, and arouse public lammiration, are the preferred styles for federal public buildings.” And again, “In the nation’s capital region and for all federal courts, the classical style should be the preferred and default style, in case there are no force majeure causes that make it necessary to use other styles.” Same lines for renovations as well: “when renovating, reducing, or expanding federal buildings that were not built in a particular architectural style, the feasibility of renovation in a preferred architectural style should be considered.”

Trump’s provisions thus remained in effect for at least a year: this week, Biden did away with the former president’s wishes regarding contemporary architecture. The revocation comes in turn with an executive order that provides to “act to rescind any order, rule, regulation, guideline, or policy, or portions thereof,” that implement Trump’s executive order.

The Trumpian measure had been strongly criticized last year by theAmerican Institute of Architects (AIA), similar to the Italian Order of Architects: the AIA is now back in the news commenting on the revocation decided by Biden. “By revoking this order,” AIA President Peter Exley said in a memo, “the Biden administration has restored the freedom for communities to choose style, a freedom essential to designing federal buildings that can best serve the public. And it is critical for architecture to achieve the best possible qualities.”

Pictured: the Capitol building in Washington.

Biden revokes Trump's decree mandating neoclassical federal buildings

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