Archinect - News

The Congressional fight over preferred architecture styles may be short-lived

2023-07-14T14:38:00-04:00

Of the two bills before Congress, one has flowery language about the need to “uplift and beautify,” “inspire the human spirit,” “ennoble the United States” and “command respect from the general public.” The other codifies old guidance that directs federal builders to “reflect the regional architectural traditions,” to emphasize “the work of living American artists” and to not have bureaucrats force an official style on the folks who do the designing.

The duel between the Democrats’ updated ‘Democracy in Design’ (S.366) and the Republican-backed ‘Beautifying Federal Civic Architecture Act’ (H.R.3627) that was introduced in May recently got the attention of a (paywalled) Wall Street Journal op-ed along its way to spurring action on the part of the Government Accountability Office, which last month recommended the GSA begin to require community inputs in the design process for new federal buildings.

The former AIA-backed bill would codify the 1962 Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture that calls for the disclusion of “official” styles. Its opposite, perhaps intentionally, preferences styles whose historic context can be deemed problematic given its undeniable connection to wealthy landowners in the Antebellum South who used architecture to present themselves as the anointed heirs of classical Greek and Roman civilizations.

Politico reports, "One familiar tendency, though, is that both sides are claiming the mantle of democrac...

New bill seeks to re-mandate Trump's classical architecture order for federal buildings

2023-05-30T15:35:00-04:00

A new bill introduced by Republican Indiana representative Jim Banks has once again returned the years-old debate around Classicism and the design of federal government buildings first begun by Donald Trump during the final year of his Presidency.

Banks’ proposed new H.R. 3627 bill — titled the "Beautifying Federal Civic Architecture Act" — expands on the Trump era executive order to "make federal buildings beautiful again" via the establishment of a new President's Council on Improving Federal Civic Architecture and advocacy for styles of "traditional architecture" including Gothic, Romanesque, Pueblo Revival, Spanish Colonial, and Mediterranean that Banks feels are endemic to the United States.

Previously on Archinect: Trump signs executive order promoting 'traditional and classical architecture' for America's federal buildings

The bill also denounces the Brutalist style espoused by Paul Rudolph and others at midcentury in deference to the neo-classical designs used in the Supreme ...

Rowan Moore wants a ‘truce’ between King Charles' traditionalists and the avant-garde

2023-05-09T12:08:00-04:00

The incurable optimist in me still wonders: could his yearnings about the built environment be more beneficially directed? Charles may have been at war with much of the architectural world for nearly 40 years, but might they not unite over what they have in common? They all want sustainable communities and good design. Architects and the monarch also have a shared enemy: the sacrifice of positive architectural qualities to housebuilders’ pursuit of profit.

Moore’s calls echo in some regard the statements made by housing secretary Michael Gove last year, in which he called for an openness to classicism given there is “no silver bullet to solve the housing crisis” domestically. Stirling Prize winners Mikhail Riches and Alison Brooks Architects are brought in as examples of those left out in the fray he created by virtue of his comments and status as an “unofficial addition” to the country's planning system.

“If he were to do anything more in the realm of architecture,” Moore writes, “it should be generous: He could praise those architects who, even if their style is not to his personal taste, dedicate energy and skill to making British towns and cities better places to live.”

Elsewhere, the Architects’ Journal reported that Norman Foster would also like a word with his new king.

UK Housing Secretary Michael Gove throws his hat behind the country's traditionalism movement

2023-01-05T15:50:00-05:00

The UK’s housing chief is throwing his name into the contentious ongoing debate surrounding the role and perception of traditionalism and classical architecture in the country’s design culture and academia.

The Architects’ Journal has details on Secretary Michael Gove’s foreword to a report authored by critic Ike Ijeh for a right-wing think tank that calls for the establishment of a “School of Place” and other educational changes that would “revive” traditionalism “from the annals of obscurity to which contemporary architecture education has unfairly consigned it.”

Gove tied the cause to the country’s housing crisis while also welcoming calls for the elevation of classicism in university curricula without expressly stating that it should be mandated in either educational Part of the RIBA-administered licensure process, stating: “There is no silver bullet to solve the housing crisis, nor to transform British towns and cities overnight or instantaneously deliver a workforce imbued wit...

Don't expect much from King Charles' reign architecturally, these two of his constituent critics say

2022-09-26T12:25:00-04:00

Poundbury, Paisley and Perspectives all ultimately failed to conquer the complex commercial and political challenges they faced. Their royal patron’s attempts to create human-centred townscapes have led to car-dominated suburbs. His efforts to uplift grand historic buildings have carved them into dreary flats. Our King is someone who sees the right problems but, ensconced in the very establishment that prevents meaningful solutions, he can only meddle around the edges of effecting real change.

The new British King is memorably the originator of the panned Poundbury estate that has failed to fall in line with its stated goals towards sustainability and car-free pedestrian orientation, according to Phineas Harper. He thinks the scion is hemmed in by a stolid commercial banking system and arcane land ownership laws and that class differences have otherwise made Charles' ability to gain perspective on the needs of his constituents otherwise impossible. As the Open City director sees it: “His view of society, as of architecture, is restricted to what can be seen from the tinted window of a chauffeured car.”

Previously on Archinect: Richard Rogers challenges Prince Charles to public debate over built environment

Meanwhile, in a different corner of the empire, new ArchitectureAU monthly critic Elizabeth Farrelly says she felt he “proved himself thoroughly unrepentant” during his time as Prince, citing his statements in support of traditionalism, and asking, “is he, as a constitut...

Federal design mandates should end, says AIA

2021-09-22T11:08:00-04:00

The AIA has expressed support for legislation recently re-introduced to the U.S. Congress, which seeks to prevent future administrations and the federal government from mandating preferred design styles for federal buildings. The organization had previously been critical of a 2020 decision by the Trump Administration to make classical architecture “the preferred and default style” for America’s public buildings.

The bill currently sitting in Congress, named the “Democracy in Design Act,” would codify the U.S. General Service Administration’s 1962 Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture, and prohibit the federal government from mandating a preferred national design style. The bill also includes a requirement that any changes to the Design Excellence Program, which guides the procurement, design, and construction of public buildings, would need to include public comment before enactment.

Architect, educator, and leading proponent of classical architecture, Thomas Gordon Smith, dies at 73

2021-06-30T16:56:00-04:00

Architect and educator, Thomas Gordon Smith, known for his commitment to classical architecture and its contemporary applications, passed away on June 23 at the age of 73.

Smith was a professor emeritus and former chair at the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture. Born on April 23, 1948, in Oakland, California, he attended the University of California at Berkeley, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in painting in 1970 and a master’s in architecture in 1975. From 1979 to 1980, Smith worked as a Rome Prize Fellow in Architecture at the American Academy in Rome. It was here that he became fully committed to the study and practice of classical architecture. He concluded his fellowship with the participation of his design of a façade for “Strada Novissima,” an exhibition at the 1980 Venice Biennale.

Following his studies, Smith established his own architectural practice, Thomas Gordon Smith Architects, and taught at institutions including the College of Marin, UCLA, Yale Un...

Biden administration ousts members of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts; Justin Shubow removed after refusing to resign

2021-05-25T17:43:00-04:00

The four new appointees will replace four commissioners who were installed by former President Donald Trump, who helped craft the controversial “Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture” executive order, which decried modern architecture and sought to make neoclassical architecture the official style for federal buildings.

The incoming cohort are Peter Cook, a principal at HGA Architects with projects including the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture; Hazel Ruth Edwards, a professor and chair of Howard University’s Department of Architecture; Justin Garrett Moore, the inaugural program officer of the Humanities in Place program at the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; and Billie Tsien, a partner at Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects.

Previously on Archinect: Biden repeals Trump's classical architecture order, so what happens now?

The current chair of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and advocate of classical architecture, Justin Shu...

Biden repeals Trump's classical architecture order, so what happens now?

2021-02-25T13:30:00-05:00

Last year, Trump and his "make federal buildings beautiful again" executive order sent shockwaves across the architecture community. Trump had strong aversions towards modern architecture calling these buildings "ugly" and "uninspiring." Since Archinect's initial coverage on the classical architecture mandate back in February 2020, we've kept a close eye on the White House's news and how the architecture community would respond.

Previously featured on Archinect: New executive order could make classical architecture "the preferred and default style" for America's public buildings. The Jamie L. Witten Federal Building in Washington, D.C., designed by Philadelphia architects Rankin, Kellogg and Crane in 1901. Image courtesy of Wikimedia user U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Since January 20th, 2021, President Biden has been swift in revoking and undoing many of Trump's blunders while in office. Before he left, Trump made a great effort to sign and pass his executive order making classic...

Architects need 'better ways to engage the public': Rowan Moore on Trump's classical architecture order

2020-12-28T14:41:00-05:00

In fact, America has beautiful and popular non-traditional structures – the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles – and it has crude and soulless classical buildings. Unfortunately, the authors of the order are not completely wrong when they say that some architects have ignored public feeling.

Rowan Moore, architecture critic at The Observer, responds to last week's presidential executive order that makes classical and traditional architecture the preferred style for federal buildings.

"If architects don’t want to give ammunition to the repressive thinking behind this order," Moore writes, "they have to show that there are better ways to engage the public."

Docomomo US responds and opposes Trump's new executive order for 'classical and traditional' architecture

2020-12-23T20:47:00-05:00

The architecture community continues to respond to Trump's latest executive order promoting classical and traditional architecture as the "preferred style" for federal buildings. After signing the mandate at the tail end of his presidency, institutions and organizations have voiced their criticisms and thoughts on the matter.

On December 22nd, the American Institute of Architects released a public statement on the matter, sharing they "never will prioritize any type of architectural design over another." Today Docomomo US released a statement expressing their frustration and opposition.

Featured on Archinect: AIA opposes Trump's classical architecture order, plans to reverse it under Biden. Facade of the new SOM-designed United States Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles, California. Photo: Flickr user Sharon Hahn Darlin.

Below is an excerpt from Docomomo US' response:

Docomomo US Response to President Trump’s Executive Order on Promoting Beautiful Civic Architecture

December 23, 2020 ...

AIA opposes Trump's classical architecture order, plans to reverse it under Biden

2020-12-22T14:01:00-05:00

Following the signing of President Trump's new executive order that makes classical and traditional architecture the preferred style for federal buildings on Monday, the American Institute of Architects promptly responded with a public condemnation.

"The AIA does not, and never will, prioritize any type of architectural
design over another," declares the latest response.

When an early draft of this federal style dictate was floated in February, the institute already condemned the attempt, tweeting on February 4th: "The AIA strongly opposes uniform style mandates for federal #architecture. Architecture should be designed for the specific communities that it serves, reflecting our rich nation’s diverse places, thought, culture and climates. Architects are committed to honoring our past as well as reflecting our future progress, protecting the freedom of thought and expression that are essential to democracy."

Trump signs executive order promoting 'traditional and classical architecture' for America's federal buildings

2020-12-21T16:29:00-05:00

With only 29 days of his White House mandate remaining, President Trump revisited a topic that had previously stoked sharp criticism from the architecture community and signed an executive order today that makes classical architecture the preferred style for federal buildings.

The order opens with a lengthy rundown of American federal architecture, from its beginnings under Washington and Jefferson, through its perceived problems with Modernism since the 1950s, all the way to calling out a certain contemporary "San Francisco Federal Building" as one of the "ugliest structures" in the city.

"Classical and other traditional architecture, as practiced both historically and by today’s architects, have proven their ability to meet these design criteria and to more than satisfy today’s functional, technical, and sustainable needs," the order transitions to the policy section. "Their use should be encouraged instead of discouraged."

Related on Archinect: New executive order could make clas...

The lasting legacy of Trump's classical architecture mandate

2020-11-12T17:30:00-05:00

[...] the forces that his White House set in motion could outlive his administration: The GSA appears to have adopted a modernism ban, without any authorization in place. What seemed to be a pipe dream for admirers of classical architecture back in February now looks like procurement policy at the federal agency that manages office space and needs for the U.S. government. Design is already underway in Alabama for what might be Trump’s first mandatory classical courthouse.

CityLab writer Kriston Capps on the current implications of the hotly debated, but ultimately never signed, "Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again" executive order the President floated back in February.

Frank Gehry reflects on Eisenhower Memorial design controversies

2020-09-09T15:08:00-04:00

“I came away blindsided [by Eisenhower's legacy]. It brings tears to my eyes. How his accomplishments as a general and as a president match anything, all without the fanfare that’s going on around the president now. The opposite. He was modest but strong. A staggering accomplishment.”

Rowan Moore, architecture critic at The Observer, interviews architect Frank Gehry for The Guardian regarding the soon-to-open Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial in Washington, D.C. The contentious memorial, which drew the ire of conservative architecture critics, was developed by Gehry Partners in collaboration with AECOM, and is set to debut to the public September 17th.

In the interview, Gehry expresses frustration over criticisms lobbed at the design's contemporary approach, arguing that these critics focused on “arbitrary bullshit" by expecting that the memorial "should be classical architecture, period, and there’s no room for any invention or new expression as the world continues to change."

Mark Ferguson appointed Dean at The Catholic University of America School of Architecture and Planning

2020-05-21T16:45:00-04:00

“As a practitioner, I have had the privilege of coaching many young architects, helping them grow into mature professionals, key members of our business organization, and valued contributors to the communities we serve,” Ferguson said. “At CatholicU, I look forward to expanding the opportunities to create knowledge and to inspire lifetime learners who acquire the awareness, skills, and judgment to be trusted stewards of the places in which we live."

After 17 years, Randal Ott steps down at The Catholic University of America School of Architecture and Planning and will be succeeded by Mark Ferguson, partner of Ferguson & Shamamian Architects, L.L.P. The New York city firm is widely known for its classical and traditional style of architecture, with Ferguson heavily involved in the Institute of Classical Architecture having an award named after him in 2017. Ferguson will be taking over responsibilities as Dean on July 1st, 2020.

AIA presidents pen letter to President Trump opposing proposed executive order

2020-02-24T13:08:00-05:00

In a statement posted the American Institute of Architects (AIA) website, the organization explains that a group of former AIA presidents have written a letter directly to President Donald Trump denouncing the "Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again" executive order.

Previously on Archinect: "New executive order could make classical architecture "the preferred and default style" for America's public buildings." The Jamie L. Witten Federal Building in Washington, D.C., designed by Philadelphia architects Rankin, Kellogg and Crane in 1901. Image courtesy of Wikimedia user U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The letter comes as 2020 AIA President Jane Frederick, AIA CEO and Executive Vice President Robert Ivy, and 2021 AIA President-Elect Peter Exley all denounced the initiative at the Grassroots Leadership Conference held in New Orleans las week. At least 34 current and past AIA presidents signed the letter, including Raj Barr-Kumar, William J. Bates, Helene Combs Dreiling, Carl Elefant...

University of Notre Dame's architecture dean speaks out against classical executive order

2020-02-11T19:36:00-05:00

A proposal such as “Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again” potentially reduces an entire architectural philosophy to a caricature. Arbitrarily pasting columns and arches on a building so it looks like a Parthenon-Colosseum hybrid is pretentious — and doesn’t make the building classical. Designing classical buildings for the modern age is a complex process, requiring knowledge of construction, world architectural history and urbanism, as well as aesthetic judgment.

Writing in The Washington Post, Michael Lykoudis, Dean of the classical architecture-focused School of Architecture at the University of Notre Dame, writes that the planned "Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again" executive order fills him with "great dismay."

Evoking the work of 15th century architect Leon Battista Alberti, Lykoudis explains that "as our students can attest, classical architecture is not a style; it is a dedication to principles of community, resilience and beauty."

"Buildings are not meant to be mere objects," Lykoudis adds, "but should contribute to the fabric of the city, promoting a healthy and nurturing community."

The measure has been opposed by a wide variety of advocacy groups, including the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA).

New executive order could make classical architecture "the preferred and default style" for America's public buildings

2020-02-04T13:50:00-05:00

Is neoclassicism about to make a big comeback?

It looks likely, as a new executive order under consideration by President Donald Trump attempts to make classicism the "preferred and default style" for new and upgraded federal buildings.

According to an exclusive report by Architectural Record, the predictably named "Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again" executive order would seek to reposition classically inspired architecture as the country's default public building style. The shift comes in opposition to the longstanding style agnosticism displayed by public buildings in recent decades following the creation of the Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture directive crafted in 1962 by former New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

Moynihan's directive—which states that "The development of an official style must be avoided" and that "Design must flow from the architectural profession to the Government and not vice versa"—has resulted in a wide ranging set of innovative pu...