Sen. Jim Banks moves to codify Trump order to make US architecture ‘beautiful again’
Republicans on Capitol Hill are introducing legislation to enshrine President Trump’s executive order last month to make American architecture “great again” by calling for classical and other traditional designs in federal buildings.
Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) rolled out a bill late last week that would force designers to learn on Greek and Roman-inspired architecture for government work.
“Americans want their federal buildings to reflect the strength, beauty, and tradition of our country,” Banks said in a statement to The Post. “This bill ensures our architecture honors our history, includes local input from our communities, and celebrates American tradition.”
Trump’s executive order applied specifically to new projects expected to cost more than $50 million. It also allows exceptions to use “brutalist” and “deconstructivist” designs in certain instances with the president’s permission.
Brutalist architecture is known for block-like and other geometric structures, while deconstructivism features fragmentation and skewed geometry.
“For too long, our federal buildings in our nation’s capital and across the country have been marked by cold, impersonal structures that ignore the values and beauty our republic was built upon,” Kiley said in a statement.
“The bill I’m sponsoring will restore the classical spirit of democracy to the architecture of our federal buildings. This is a proud step toward honoring our heritage and inspiring future generations.”
The bill permanently amends the Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture to make classical and other traditional designs the first choice for public buildings.
For much of US history, the government favored Greco-Roman designs for landmark buildings such as the US Capitol and White House.
But in the 1960s, future New York Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan penned the Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture, which frowned on classical architecture in favor of more contemporary designs.
Under the General Services Administration’s Design Excellence Program for federal building construction, only 8% of government buildings were constructed using classical design.
Nearly three-quarters (72%) of Americans favor traditional architecture for federal edifices, according to an October 2020 Harris poll.
Banks has previously pursued legislation to promote the use of classical and traditional architecture in federal government buildings.
In 2023, while serving as a congressman, Banks unveiled the “Beautifying Federal Civic Architecture Act.”
The Indiana Republican has also worked to codify Trump’s other executive actions into law. In July, he introduced legislation to enshrine the president’s order targeting wokeness in federally funded museums.