Ornamentation
What is the role of ornament in architecture today? Is ornament (aesthetic expression) predominantly a technological, cultural, economic, environmental, or artistic task; some combination of these; or somethings else? In other words, if a fourth text were added to this topic, what would the argument be?
DIFFERENT TYPE OF ORNAMENTS
In contemporary architecture, there are so many new architectural identities and the image arise from each of every aspect. The topic that I want to discuss today is about the ‘ornamentation’.
What is ornament? Basically, ornament is defined as the elaboration of functionally complete object for the sake of visual pleasure. The use of ornament had been long debated by different architects about it architectural aesthetic. Historically, ornament in architecture has been conceptualized as something that is an additive, unnecessary, building component applied to a surface or object.
In 1908, Adolf Loos writes, “The evolution of culture is synonymous with the removal of ornament from utilitarian objects.”
It is now one hundred years more since Loos write his article and nowadays architects begin to explore, what is the important of ornament and how it give advantages to the society. In a building, ornament was not supplying that which was good in itself with its essential complement, but covering the unacceptable- original text from article.
Modernism and architects today are seeking to redefine the term of ‘ornament’. Rather than being viewed as a useless decorative object, we can explore that ornament served as an integrated, performative, and functional building component. It still served as a facade that can be seen as the pleasant visible face that hides that which is less pleasant behind it. The ornament also help to beautify a specific quality of an object, or others.
Besides, ornament nowadays can bear the responsibilities of technical, it served as an enclosure, a daylight modulation, temperature control, and aesthetic task. For example, an ornament can be a light switch, a simple and functional element in a building. It depends on how you treat and the way you see on it. Ornament does not always need to be a decorative thing, sometimes a simple yet functional element also called as ornament. Wood, stainless steel, plastic are the materials used in this element, and all are ornament.
Ornament is predominantly in culture and economic, they are interrelated. Some ornaments used in Malaysia follow the culture of each ethnicity to highlight the speciality of their building. For example, the roof in our country, there are pitch roof, gable, flat and others. Iron grilled window also the unique example that can see in the building. It contains many decorative pattern and the function is to prevent the danger from outside and ventilation too.
Picture on the left show the example of the ornamental element that used in a house
There is one building that I will like to share about, it is MuCEM (Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations) – a new cultural centerpiece to celebrate the city becoming the European Capital of Culture. It is designed by Rudy Ricciotti at year 2013. What surprised you the most was the exterior and the façade of the entire building, it is ornamented in all the way around. Concrete has been shaped to make a sensitive cover around the building's edge, shading its inside walkways and display spaces from the unforgiving Mediterranean sun.
The building itself is unique and the feeling that create are different between day and night.
Ornament in architecture can be seen much like fashion in clothing. Human need to wear clothes because it is a necessity for us, but the fashion is for enhancing the image of out body. It is same to the architecture. For just we can argue the aesthetics and quality of fashion, we can argue the attractiveness and appropriate application of ornament. But we cannot argue that there is no ornament, or that it is a crime. It is a necessity, and architecture, without ornament, is not.