Donald Trump has issued a decree that the design of almost all federal buildings over $50m should be classical or traditional in style.

He singled out post-war brutalism and much more recent projects such Morphosis’ Federal Building in San Francisco for opprobrium, which he said was praised by “elite architects” but that “many San Franciscans consider it one of the ugliest structures in their city”.

He ruled that when such buildings undergo refurbishment the feasibility of giving them a new traditional exterior should be considered.

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