President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Dec. 21 that recommends classical architecture as the “preferred and default architecture” for public federal government buildings in Washington D.C. The order criticizes what’s become known as the “Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture,” which largely replaced traditional designs with modernist ones in the 1950s. The Guiding Principles policy “implicitly discouraged classical and other traditional designs known for their beauty,” instead pushing for so called “contemporary” designs. The order makes mention of the “brutalist” style of architecture—characterized as huge block-like appearances with geometric styles and large-scale use of exposed poured concrete—as being the cause of widespread criticism for the design of many modern buildings. “I think the classical architecture of Greece and Rome is very wholesome and it’s it brings out the inherent order, structure, and beauty that humans crave,” an administration official who played a role in the order’s creation told The Epoch Times. …