John Lewis department store in Leicester, UK Foreign Office Architects

Ornament disguised as a pictogram and making the best possible use of modern technology is making a comeback and is no longer a crime. 

Definition : 
Two- or three-dimensional decoration, sculpture, carving etc. for the surfaces or spaces of a building or other object.
The need for ornament appears to be a universal one. an aspect of human condition which can be found in the caves of prehistoric man, in the pyramids and tombs of Ancient Egypt, the temples of Greece, the Middle Ages, the geometric ornamentation of Islam, and the patterned wall papers and textiles of today. 

There are two aspects/ schools of thoughts that are basically for and against ornamentation, as in the current time 21 century, a decline in the use of ornaments are noticed due to the minimalist movement and idealism architects seem to be adapting, ornaments are to be an integral part of the building and not a secondary element (Ornament is crime) .

Can ornaments answer the question of identity in architectural design and be an important structural element of the design ?
Few architects seem to have found a middle ground when it comes to using ornaments integrated in the design vs. it being a stick on the design kind of statement. 

Advocates of the Modern architecture took two broad approaches to the problematic issue of ornament, they either eliminated it (Pure space and true construction) thus empowering the values of the machine age, or devise a new contemporary ornamental vocabulary. 

Architects such as  Antoni Gaudi, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Jean Nouvel's works are illustrated here to showcase the modern implementation of ornaments in architectural design.

The use of ornaments in Greek orders

Antoni Gaudí:
"What I saw in Barcelona – Gaudí – was the work of such strength, such faith, of an extraordinary technical capacity, manifested during a whole life of genius; of a man who carved the stones before his eyes in well thought out pattern. Gaudí is the ‘builder’ of the turn of the century, a man adept with stone, iron and brick. His glory is seen today in his country. Gaudí was a great artist; only those who move the sensitive hearts of gentle people remain. But they are mistreated in the course of their lives, misunderstood or accused of sin toward the mode of the day. Architecture’s significance is shown when there dominates evidence of lofty intentions that triumph over all the problems in the line of fire (structure, economy, technique, utility). Thanks to interior preparation, architecture is the fruit of character – just that, a manifestation of character." – Le Corbusier 


Antoni Gaudí helped the Catalan architecture to worldwide fame and reputation. Gaudí was also an architect and designer with a special ability to synthesise their own tradition and the courage to new technical solutions. He understood to integrate creative and plastic elements in his buildings.

Casa Milà

Casa Batlló

Friedensreich Hundertwasser:
Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928–2000) was an Austrian painter, architect, and sculptor best known for his architecture characterized by colorful, ornamental, and biomorphic shapes. He initially gained acclaim for his paintings, but later became more renowned for his unique architectural styling.

The green citadel of Magdeburg, Germany

Maishima Incineration Plant in Osaka

Jean Nouvel:
Jean Nouvel born in 1945 is a French architect. Nouvel studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and was a founding member of Mars 1976 and Syndicat de l'Architecture. He has obtained a number of prestigious distinctions over the course of his career, including the Aga Khan Award for Architecture (technically, the prize was awarded for the Institut du Monde Arabe which Nouvel designed), the Wolf Prize in Arts in 2005 and the Pritzker Prize in 2008.

Philharmonie de Paris

Institut du Monde Arabe

Louvre Abu Dhabi

References  :

-By Unknown, scan by sidonius 16:34, 7 November 2006 (UTC) - Meyers Kleines Konversationslexikon. Fünfte, umgearbeitete und vermehrte Auflage. Bd. 1. Bibliographisches Institut, Leipzig und Wien 1892., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1348314
-https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Antoni_Gaud%C3%AD
-https://lightslant.wordpress.com/2011/07/23/phantom-balconies/
-http://www.amusingplanet.com/2013/07/friedensreich-hundertwassers-strange.html
-http://barcelona.de/en/barcelona-antoni-gaudi.html
-http://www.amusingplanet.com/2013/07/friedensreich-hundertwassers-strange.html