Architectural ornamentation has historically been referred to as feminine, making out the non-structural surplus but also the sublime beauty in a building. By gendering the ornament female, it has become subjected to the same sets of prejudices and moralization as the women of the time. Modernism escalated the misogynist rhetoric regarding ornamentation to such a degree that it was abolished from the architectural practice. Their dismissal of ornament painted the will to adorn as both infantile projection and erotic deception, the same clashing dualities found in female stereotypes.The contemporary discipline is still affected by the constraints introduced on aesthetics a decade ago and attempts of reclaiming the ornamental have been met by contradicting critique on if- and what contemporary ornamentation should be. The thesis examines the contemporary debate regarding the definition, utility and application of ornament, as well as a brief historical background focused on late 19th and early 20th century architecture. By examining the decade before ornamentation became taboo, the research highlights the correlating evolution of female archetypes and ornament and how these reacted to the moralization of beauty, leading up to the abolishment of the ornament through Adolf Loos' Ornament and Crime. Reviewing a wide selection of literature on taste, ornamentation and gender, the thesis argues for the return of ornamentation as a tool in a feminist architectural practice. Through the feminized ornament, the project hopes to initiate a discussion on how one could emasculate architectural aesthetics by promoting a more inclusive and diverse morphology. Such a development would not only benefit the built environment cosmetically but improve the visual legibility and create less stress-inducing spaces.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:umu-197633 |
| Date | January 2022 |
| Creators | Lundmark, Linnea |
| Publisher | Umeå universitet, Arkitekthögskolan vid Umeå universitet |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf, application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess, info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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