LA CONVENANCE DE L’ORNEMENT : UNE QUESTION ÉTHIQUE ?

In contemporary times, where architecture often tends to seek spectacular beauty, ornament has once again a crucial position in the philosophical and architectural debate. The question is: how can beauty be measured? Could the ornament also be an ethical issue? To answer this question, I will investigate three compelling moments of the historical debate on the architectonic ornament, i.e. Leon Battista Albertiʼs theory of harmony, the Chicago School (Louis H. Sullivan and John Root)ʼs approach to the issue of form and function, and Adolf Loosʼ famous criticism of ornament. The dismissal of the ornament, as developed by Alberti, Sullivan, Root and Loos, stems from different theoretical contexts and cultural settings. However, their theories can contribute to the contemporary debate, evoking that sense of appropriateness which is not only an aesthetic measure but also an ethical one.