But many members of the architecture community have criticized the imposition of a preferred style in federal building projects. Earlier this year, groups including the American Institute of Architects and the National Trust for Historic Preservation opposed a draft of the executive order that would have banned modernist design. “President Trump is to be applauded for inaugurating a literally beautiful new era in federal architecture,” said Justin Shubow, the nonprofit’s president. Some saw the order as being about more than architectural style. “The executive order is meaningless,” said Reinhold Martin, an architecture professor at Columbia University “This is an effort to use culture to send coded messages about white supremacy and political hegemony.”

Source: New York Times December 21, 2020 22:18 UTC