It’s now one hundred years since Adolf Loos published his influential essay “Ornament and crime” in 1910. This tyrannical statement seems like leading the architects of entire century clung to the opinion and fettered by the bound. For over the century, the issue of ornamentation keeps on oscillated between two extreme conditions, either being condemned or being praised. However we can see some of architects nowadays disabusing their minds of the tyranny statement and begins to explore once more the joys and expand the vocabulary of ornament.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

The word “ornament”, origin from Latin orna-mentum which the word ornare carry the meaning of apparatus or equipment. In architecture and decorative art, ornament means decoration used to embellish parts of building. Although ornament begin as a luxury during ancient times, it’s been further developed into not just a decorative element in contemporary architecture buildings nowadays.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

“Building is a building. It cannot be read like a book. It doesn’t have any credits, subtitles or labels like a picture in a gallery. In that sense, we are absolutely anti-representational. The strength of our building is the immediate, visceral impact they have on a visitor.”

-The Story of Post-Modernism, 193.

​

In some contemporary architecture, architects used to envelope their building by applying ornamentation into it and giving their buildings a new a definition and appearance. These ornamentation function as an intermediate catalyst lead us to the tales woven inside the building. Ornamentation represents a variety of layers, not only an intricate architectural element which waste of materials, times, and labour as Adolf Loos mentioned. Sometimes it even can effected the building’s social, cultural and economic status.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Moreover, to this day, some ornaments are introduce in building are purposely functional besides from just design for the sake of visual pleasure or culture significance. Rather than being viewed as an unnecessary element, ornament in contemporary architecture now can be redefine as functional building component which can bear technical responsibilities such as thermal control, ventilation, sunlight penetrates and etc. Once again prove that ornament can functions as building and decorative elements simultaneously. One of the best examples to showcase should be the Beijing National Stadium, the structure and ornament borders were blurred and emerges as a multi-function hybrid element.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

To conclude, I would say that ornament may not be an essential elements for contemporary architecture but perhaps architects need to reconsider the meaning of ornaments and why people still loving it throughout the century.

​

“Ornament is the language through which architecture communicates with a broader public - each remove puts another degree of separation between the profession and the public.”

​

Shall we insists to strip-off those ornamentations?

Or in another way adapt them into contemporary architecture and bring it to higher level?