On his first day in office, US President Donald Trump issued an executive order "Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture."

It was one of many executive orders Trump issued on his inauguration day yesterday, a presidential action promoting the use of "traditional and classical" architectural styles in municipal buildings. The order requires the heads of U.S. government agencies to submit recommendations to Trump within 60 days. It aims to "enhance and beautify public spaces and ennoble America."

The order specifically requests recommendations on how to update the federal building guidelines established by the US government in 1962 and increase "community investment" in design decisions.

Trump has always been interested in this issue.

As early as the last time he took office, he issued a draft order called "Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again". While promoting classical architecture, it also prohibited municipal buildings from adopting Brutalist or deconstructive styles. .

"Architectural designs in the Brutalist and Deconstructivist styles, and the styles derived from them, do not meet these requirements and must not be used," the document states.

The draft order was criticized by the American Institute of Architects(AIA), which "strongly and unequivocally" opposed the change and called on members to sign an open letter to the Trump administration.

The AIA remains swift and clear in its response to the second week of this executive order. On January 21st, the association issued a statement stating that it is "extremely concerned about any revisions that remove local community control or mandate federal official design preferences, as they impede design freedom." The AIA also declares its support for GSA's guiding principles, which encourage design freedom.

Two days before the edict was issued, the National Civic Art Society's Justin Shubow joined CBS's "Sunday Morning" to discuss how to deal with the "disadvantages of Brutalist architecture, particularly in Washington, D.C.".

Aileen Fuchs, executive director of the National Building Museum, was also interviewed on the show and defended federal buildings built in the Brutalist style. Last year, the institution held the Brutalism in the Capital exhibition, which showcased the popular and controversial architectural style in the city.

In addition to its construction work, GSA has committed to crushing the Green New Deal and DEI initiatives within GSA. "We will remove extremist Green New Deal and ESG (environmental, social and governance) requirements from federal building construction, leasing and procurement, prioritizing economic benefits over ideological mandates."

In the weeks leading up to Trump's inauguration on January 20th, many media outlets were speculating whether he would revisit the 2020 executive order.

Trump issued an order titled "Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture" on December 21th, 2020 during his first presidential term. The order stipulates that buildings commissioned by the federal government must be "beautiful" and says classical and traditional styles are preferred.

The 2020 executive order was supported by the National Civic Art Society but condemned by many architects. Architectural anthropologist Michal Murawski said that this order would make Washington D.C. looks like Moscow in the 1990s, with garish decorations everywhere.

The President of the United States can issue executive orders without congressional approval. These executive orders are legally binding but can go through the court system or be overturned by a subsequent president.

In February 2021, President Joe Biden rescinded the first executive order, just 69 days after it was signed. However, Trump's latest order, signed on his first day in office, shows that he still considers the issue of architectural styles used in municipal buildings to be important.

There is no mention of classical architecture in the Heritage Foundation's "2025 Plan", which many say will be Trump's guide to action after taking office. The plan does propose a more "conservative Environmental Protection Agency," shrinking housing and the Department of Urban Development (HUD), cutting investment in public transportation infrastructure, etc.

All this shows that with this new executive order, the issue of stylized authorization is indeed back on the table.