Beaux-Arts architecture depended on sculptural decoration along conservative modern lines, employing French and Italian Baroque and Rococo formulas combined with an impressionistic finish and realism.

Also known as Beaux-Arts Classicism, Academic Classicism, or Classical Revival, Beaux Arts is a late and eclectic form of Neoclassicism. It combines classical architecture from ancient Greece and Rome with Renaissance ideas.

Art Deco favours geometrical angles with empasis placed on verticality whereas Beaux Arts encompasses classical elements which favour pillars and pilasters. Art Deco finishes are smooth with minimal decoration in comparison to the highly decorative finishes favoured by Beaux Arts.

The Beaux Arts style uses formal symmetry, Italian Renaissance form, and classical Greek and Roman decorative elements like columns, pediments and balustrades to create a grand and imposing architectural statement.