ORNAMENT IN REVOLUTION
“Modern ornament has neither forbears nor descendants, no past and no future.”
Ornament is part of architecture throughout the century. Vernacular, Neoclassical, Gothic, Art Deco and Victorian Architecture have their own identity based on ornamentation. Ornamentation at that period linked to culture and it leads to the next generation of architecture. The function of ornament is to represent a new style of architecture born and how it change architecture at that century. However, ornamentation in 21st century mostly inspired by previous ages, the lack of own identity have raise the question of whether ornament is a crime.
“The evolution of culture is synonymous with the removal of ornamentation from objects of everyday use.”
The International Style have been widely used in modern architecture and it support the statement of “ornament and crime” by Adolf Loos. It state that ornamentation will slowing down the cultural development of the nations and of humanity and it have been vanished day by day throughout the revolution of architecture. The reason ornamentation have been banned in modern architecture is because it only used as decoration rather than a functional elements. The revolution of architecture have leads to the consideration of labor cost, time, and function. However, ornamentation such as cornice and pediment are the example of decoration and it will be eliminated soon. “In economic respect it is a crime, in that it leads to the waste of human labor, money, and materials. That is damage time cannot repair.”
In my opinion, ornamentation is the platform to showcase our cultural, economic, technology and architecture style. It should not be forgotten so that an identifiable architectural style can be created. Modern ornamentation should follow up the revolution of architecture industry instead of keep on referring the previous age.
“Mankind had reached the point where ornament was no longer a source of pleasure, where a tattooed face, instead of increasing people’s aesthetic pleasure as it does for the Papuans, diminished pleasure.”
Ornamentation should having a revolution based on technology and economic. It is no longer used as a decoration but to fulfill the demands of users. A cross ventilation and sun shading device can be consider as a useful ornament. The money spend on the construction should be worthy and it can be last for a long century. The craftsman producing decorative ornament is not fairly rewarded for his labor, it only show a symptom of backwardness or degeneracy.
In addition, the ornamentation used for green building consider as a successful ornamentation. It can be represent the latest cultural of new architecture and at the same time used as an environment friendly element. The way ornamentation being related to the latest cultural, environmental issues, technology revolution and economics will express our 21th century, to show our lifestyle, priorities and preferences to the future generations.
In my perspectives, ornamentation should be maintain in architecture industry throughout the future generation. We should discuss on “Ornament in revolution.” Ornament should unity with architectural and brings out the characteristic or symbolize our century. “Ornament is not a crime but an extension of architecture. As long as ornament roots in the soil of nature, just like music, sculpture and painting, it will always have meaning rather than being redundant.” The argument for this discussion would be the measurements to improve the ornamentation based on latest demands or requirements. Perhaps the real problem that architects have already encountered today is how to handle a new ornamentation in new architecture. It always be the responsible of architects to present the glory of a culture to us or future ages. The courage to change the definition of ornamentation will lead to a more identifiable architecture.
