An Investigation on Meaning of Ornaments in Architectural Façade: In Case of Contemporary Architecture and Digital Age

Ornaments have been an element of architectural design for decades. They represented diverse symbolic meanings at different times, but the goal was always to make the building interact with societies. Ornaments in architecture can be observed reappearing after the modernist movement. Still with the same fundamental purpose of communicating, but in various formats this time. The look of ornamentation altered in the digital era and contemporary architecture, due to technology improvement and computer assistance. Contemporary ornaments are no longer an afterthought to the building, but rather form the whole façade structure. As a result, the distinction between architecture and adornment in modern building is blurred. This gives the building the capacity to communicate several symbolic meanings and provide a multi-sensory experience for people. This article attempted to provide a historical overview of ornaments in architecture, from their origins to their return in the digital era and contemporary architecture. It has also been attempted to decipher the language of contemporary ornament and the role of technology in it. Later, several effective cases of contemporary architecture were explored, which presented current ornamentation by utilizing new technology, materials, and patterns.