▁Gene ▁S ny der ▁U . S . ▁Cour th ouse ▁and ▁Custom ▁House ▁is ▁an ▁excellent ▁example ▁of ▁Class ical ▁Rev ival ▁architecture , ▁a ▁style ▁that ▁federal ▁government ▁architect s ▁emb rac ed ▁during ▁the ▁early ▁tw enti eth ▁century ▁as ▁a ▁method ▁of ▁symbol izing ▁dem ocr atic ▁ide als ▁of ▁government ▁and ▁power . ▁More ▁specifically , ▁the ▁building ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁the ▁architecture ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Tre as ury ▁Department ▁Building ▁in ▁Washington , ▁DC , ▁designed ▁a ▁century ▁earlier . ▁Both ▁buildings ▁prom in ently ▁feature ▁a ▁lim estone ▁fac ade ▁composed ▁of ▁a ▁long ▁colon na de ▁of ▁tall , ▁col oss al ▁columns ▁raised ▁on ▁a ▁ground - story ▁base ▁to ▁an ▁impos ing ▁and ▁impress ive ▁effect . ▁Un like ▁the ▁Tre as ury ▁Building , ▁the ▁Cour th ouse ▁was ▁constructed ▁not ▁of ▁solid ▁m ason ry , ▁but ▁of ▁modern ▁materials , ▁including ▁concrete ▁and ▁steel ▁columns ▁and ▁be ams , ▁with ▁Bed ford ▁lim estone ▁for ▁the ▁exterior ▁v ene er . ▁ ▁En comp ass ing ▁an ▁entire ▁city ▁block , ▁the ▁rect angular ▁building ▁r ises ▁six ▁stories ▁( the ▁fifth ▁floor ▁is ▁conce aled ▁on ▁the ▁exterior ▁behind ▁the ▁lim estone ▁ent abl ature ). ▁The ▁fac ade ▁( s outh ▁elev ation ) ▁facing ▁Broadway ▁Street ▁features ▁a ▁row ▁of ▁ 1 8 ▁engaged ▁Cor inth ian ▁columns ▁with ▁fl uted ▁sh aft s ▁po ised ▁upon ▁a ▁rust ic ated ▁base ▁of ▁arch