Category Archives: Brutalism

I am Justin Shubow

President of the National Civic Art Society, a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. that promotes the classical and humanistic tradition in public art and architecture. Eleventh Chairman of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, an independent federal agency comprising seven presidential appointees who are the aesthetic guardians of Washington.

Interviewed by Le Point: “Justin Shubow, Donald Trump’s ‘Mr. Architecture'”

by Justin Shubow Posted on March 19, 2025

Le Point, a French weekly newspaper, published an interview of me as well as a companion news article, “Donald Trump’s Major Offensive Against ‘Just Really Ugly’ Architecture.” To quote the interview (via Google translate): He is Donald Trump’s Mr. Architecture. Appointed chairman of the … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, beauty, Brutalism, civic architecture, classical architecture, classicism, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Étienne-Louis Boullée, Executive Order on federal architecture, FBI building, federal architecture, Forrestal building, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, General Services Administration, GSA's Design Excellence Program, Guiding Principles of Federal Architecture, Harris Poll, Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, Modernism, National Civic Art Society, President Donald Trump, Thomas Jefferson, U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, ugliness, Washington, D.C. Metro | Leave a comment

My Washington Post Op-Ed: the Brutalist Forrestal Building, Headquarters of the Dept. of Energy, Must Be Demolished

by Justin Shubow Posted on March 12, 2025

The March 12, 2025 Washington Post featured an op-ed by Victoria Coates and me: Here’s One Federal Building We Could — and Should — Scrap The Forrestal Building’s form is impeding its function as home of the Energy Department. By Victoria Coates and Justin Shubow Victoria Coates, … Continue reading →

Posted in Brutalism, Department of Energy, Executive Order on federal architecture, Forrestal building, Smithsonian | Leave a comment

Quoted in The New York Times on the Politics of Brutalism Under Trump

by Justin Shubow Posted on February 24, 2025

The New York Times gave me some good quotes in a February 22, 2025 article on the politics of Brutalism under Trump: The [Brutalist] buildings’ very association with government is sinister to people in Mr. Trump’s orbit, like Justin Shubow, … Continue reading →

Posted in Brutalism, classical architecture, FBI building, President Donald Trump, Washington, D.C. | Leave a comment

Interviewed on the Vince Coglianese Show

by Justin Shubow Posted on January 10, 2025

Enjoyed speaking about Brutalism, classical architecture, the National Endowment for the Arts, President Trump, and more on Vince Coglianese’s Show on WMAL-FM radio on January 10, 2025. Omny.fm: https://omny.fm/shows/the-vince-coglianese-show/justin-shubow-interview Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/can-trump-restore-classical-architecture/id588344390?i=1000683530786 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/22X9efR5GTJQ0zD0E1MQ4P YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a08cJla3rVY

Posted in Brutalism, National Endowment for the Arts, uncategorized | Leave a comment

Interviewed on the DC EKG Podcast

by Justin Shubow Posted on November 5, 2024

Joe Grogan, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council in the Trump administration, interviewed me on the DC EKG podcast. I spoke at length about the magnificent new classical National World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C. I also … Continue reading →

Posted in Brutalism, civic architecture, classical architecture, Eisenhower Memorial, federal architecture, Frank Gehry, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, General Services Administration, Jefferson Memorial, Joe Grogan, L'Enfant Plan, Martin Luther King Memorial, McMillan Plan, Modernism, monuments, National Civic Art Society, National Mall, National World War I Memorial, public talks, sculpture, U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, United Airlines Flight 93 Memorial, Washington, D.C. | Leave a comment

Interviewed on Moment of Truth Podcast

by Justin Shubow Posted on October 29, 2024

I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Saurabh Sharma, President of American Moment, on his organization’s podcast “Moment of Truth.” We discussed President Trump and the politics of architecture, sustainability, historic preservation, the new National World War I Memorial, … Continue reading →

Posted in Americans' Preferred Architecture for Federal Buildings, architecture, Brutalism, civic architecture, classical architecture, democracy, Eisenhower Memorial, federal architecture, federal architecture legislation, Frank Gehry, historic preservation, Modernism, monuments, National Civic Art Society, National World War I Memorial, sustainability, U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, uncategorized, United Airlines Flight 93 Memorial, Washington, D.C. | Leave a comment

My Essay “Make America Beautiful Again”

by Justin Shubow Posted on August 22, 2024

On August 21, 2024, TomKlingenstein.com published an essay by me on beauty, virtue, and American classical architecture titled “Make America Beautiful Again.” Senator Marco Rubio called it a “must read piece.” To quote: The Victorian art critic John Ruskin thought … Continue reading →

Posted in Americans' Preferred Architecture for Federal Buildings, architecture, beauty, Brutalism, civic architecture, classical architecture, classicism, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, democracy, Edmund Burke, federal architecture, federal architecture legislation, John Ruskin, publications, Rem Koolhass, Robert Penn Warren, Thomas Jefferson | Leave a comment

Interviewed on Liberty Law Talk Podcast

by Justin Shubow Posted on November 20, 2023

Liberty Law Talk, a podcast of Law & Liberty, featured an interview of National Civic Art Society President Justin Shubow in which he talks about the influence of civic architecture on body politic, the role of the U.S. Commission of … Continue reading →

Posted in American Institute of Architects (AIA), Americans' Preferred Architecture for Federal Buildings, architecture, beauty, Brutalism, civic architecture, classicism, courthouses, deconstructionism, deconstructivism, federal architecture, federal architecture legislation, General Services Administration, George Washington, GSA's Design Excellence Program, Guiding Principles of Federal Architecture, Harris Poll, Jefferson Memorial, Modernism, monuments, National Civic Art Society, sculpture, Thom Mayne, Thomas Jefferson, U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, ugliness, Washington, D.C. | Leave a comment