Ornament and Crime

The Decisive Contribution of Adolf Loos

This notable article drags people to rethink whether the present of an ornament is fundamental as it has proven that ornament represent a cultural decline, is a sense of waste. Well, ornament is an embellishment of the physical appearance of an art, but this does not mean it must be applied to all the architectural workpieces. Without ornament, a building still able to perform its architectural style and function relevant to the client, it depends on how the designer convey.

Ornament is a crime, just kind of procrastinate as it was belonged to the past, modern architecture was no longer in ornament due to people does not want to spend extra expenditure to unnecessary structure. Ornament could not aid for supporting loads or structure. Without ornament, a building still work. Ornament producers require a long period to accomplish work because it takes time to design and mould such detail artwork. Moreover, it needs great man power and material to assign a task. To absolute a project in time, more workers have to join so that the progress could be speed up. However, ornament making process is actually risky, may injured or harmful to the health indirectly.

Adolf Loos has evinced his perspective by his work. Among them was Steiner House in simple style with Modern garden façade. Adolf Loos has designed it in pure form by maximizing the space at his disposal without violating the building regulations. The whole building structure is in austere and futuristic look as there was an arched tin roof on the two additional floors. Symmetry, the lack of ornamentation has defined the building. Adolf Loos has opinioned that an architecture should base on the economy and the rigour of the function. ‘Raumplan’ was the central design principle, emphasizing the consideration and size of interior spaces based on function.

Steiner House by Adolf Loos

Nonetheless, mimetic ornament is acceptable in this era. It is an imitation of nature, decorative motifs derived from precedent structural and symbolic forms. People are more acceptable with those sustainable elements as it grows out from a universal human reaction to the technological change.

Papyrus column from a temple at Karnak, Egypt

The present of ornament, is still a disputable topic for people to further explore. A building form should be totally well-design with structural components or ardorn with ornaments, engineer and labours have been managed to stand by Adolf Loos’s side. And, Adolf Loos has verified the possibilities through his writings and building design.

Written by Wong Rong Song, 1001746688