The Unacknowledged Status of Applied Ornament in Contemporary Architecture
[EN] In the 19th century, Fergusson defined architecture as "the art of ornamental and ornamented construction," a theory that remains relevant today. Historically, ornamentation was central to architectural discourse, from the Renaissance notions to the stark minimalism of Moderni...
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| Tipo de documento: | artigo |
| Data de publicação: | 2025 |
| País: | España |
| Recursos: | Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) |
| Repositório: | RiuNet. Repositorio Institucional de la Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:riunet.upv.es:10251/221990 |
| Acesso em linha: | https://riunet.upv.es/handle/10251/221990 |
| Access Level: | Acceso aberto |
| Palavra-chave: | Architectural ornament Intrinsic ornament Applied ornament Contemporary architecture Contemporary ornamentation Ornamento arquitectónico Ornamento intrínseco Ornamento aplicado Arquitectura contemporánea Ornamentación contemporánea |
| Resumo: | [EN] In the 19th century, Fergusson defined architecture as "the art of ornamental and ornamented construction," a theory that remains relevant today. Historically, ornamentation was central to architectural discourse, from the Renaissance notions to the stark minimalism of Modernism and the symbolic décor of Postmodernism. Today, it continues to be a critical focus in architectural theory while contemporary discourse often treats ornament as an intrinsic architectural feature where ornament and structure are inseparable. This view, that pursues the design principle of Modernism, overlooks the prevalence of applied ornament, which, though less discussed, is equally significant in practice. Within this framework, the paper argues for a binary framework to understand contemporary ornamentation: intrinsic (integral to the building) and applied (added onto the building). Despite the contemporary preference for intrinsic ornament, applied ornament in architectural practice remains widespread, indicating a need for a reassessment of its theoretical framework. Delineating the approaches and attempts to illustrate associated concepts such as patterns and digitalization, the study aims to comprehend applied ornament's role and challenge the perception that integrated ornament is the only legitimate form through examining contemporary projects. This re-evaluation seeks to deepen the understanding of ornamentation's status, encouraging further theoretical exploration of applied ornament. |
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