Neoclassical architecture is a more literal revival of classical Greek and Roman architecture, which was spawned during the larger neoclassical movement in Europe. Neoclassical architecture was meant as a response to the excessive ornamentation and perceived impurity of the Baroque and Rococo styles. "Neoclassical" can also be used as a blanket term for any architectural style using the forms and orders of classical antiquity.
Neoclassical architecture's earliest beginnings can be traced to early 18th-century Britain, where Baroque and Rococo architecture was never popular. At this time, many English architects began to operate in the Palladian language, similar to Inigo Jones' early work. Generally, these designs were inspired by ancient Roman architecture. As the century continued, buildings began to incorporate a wider variety of precedents, including ancient Greek architecture. Neoclassicism became the prevailing style of the time by the mid-18th century.
Neoclassical architecture became a global phenomenon during its peak in the late 18th century. Significant examples from this period include the United States Capitol, the Bank of England in London, and Paris' Pantheon. Many well-known examples were built at a massive scale and had a civic program.
By the beginning of the 19th century, Neoclassical architecture became even more literal, and it used the study and archaeology of classical civilizations. The Greek Revival style, which employed precedents of ancient Greece, began to grow in popularity during this time. Additionally, different countries had different flavors of Neoclassicism, like the United States' Georgian and Federal architecture.
Neoclassical architecture is known for its simpler ornamentation and less sculptural quality, since the movement was originally a reaction to the elaborate decoration of late Baroque architecture. Architects wanted to return to the strict rules of classical temple designs. Buildings typically have simpler massing and expression, and their types were very literal.
Neoclassical architecture remained popular through the beginning of the 20th century, especially after the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago, but the pedagogy of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts began to discourage the stricter Neoclassicism starting in the 1830s.
Neoclassicism's successor is the current New Classical movement, which returns to the simpler classical orders and decoration of Neoclassical architecture.