From federal buildings to metro stations, Washington, D.C. is known for its brutalist architecture style. Now, President Donald Trump is putting his own twist on the nation's capital.
Trump signed an executive order on Thursday requiring federal buildings to embrace classical architecture, as opposed to the traditional brutalist style.
Due to Trump's background in real estate, throughout his second term, he has taken the liberty to weigh in on architectural decisions, from ballrooms to flag poles.
"In the District of Columbia, classical architecture shall be the preferred and default architecture for Federal public buildings absent exceptional factors necessitating another kind of architecture," reads a White House fact sheet on the order.
The fact sheet adds that the brutalist architecture was not what the Founding Fathers intended the nation's capital to look like.
Trump wants federal buildings to be constructed in a way that "uplifts and beautifies public spaces."
Recently, Trump focused on beautifying the District, including public parks. This move comes after Trump announced a crackdown on crime and homelessness in the nation's capital. Trump said the effort is about making the city "safe and beautiful," including removing homeless encampments from parks.
Construction also awaits inside the White House; Trump ordered the building of a 90,000 square-foot ballroom. Construction for the ballroom is scheduled to begin in September with a completion date set in early 2029, just before the end of his first term.
"For 150 years, Presidents, and many others, have wanted a beautiful Ballroom, but it never got built because nobody previously had any knowledge or experience in doing such things," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "But I do, like maybe nobody else, and it will go up quickly, and be a wonderful addition, very much in keeping with the magnificent White House itself."
The new ballroom will be able to fit 600 people, while the one the White House currently uses can only hold 200. The renovation is expected to cost $200 million. The cost is to be covered by Trump and some private donors.
"President Trump is a builder at heart and has an extraordinary eye for detail," White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles said in a statement. "The President and the Trump White House are fully committed to working with the appropriate organizations to preserving the special history of the White House while building a beautiful ballroom that can be enjoyed by future Administrations and generations of Americans to come."