DECORATIVENESS IN ARCHITECTURE : PERCEPTION EVOLUTION AND ENVIRONMENT SIGNIFICANCE

Abstract

The study focuses on investigation of such concepts as decor, ornamentation, and decorativeness which are
analysed as part of an architectural work in the context of the decorative elements’ evolution and their role in the
contemporary environment. The purpose of the article is to dwell upon the issues: the role of decor and decorativeness
in architecture, their semantic meaning and value for the building, and the way decorativeness has evolved in
architecture from ancient times to the present day. These issues lead to reflections on the way decorativeness is
perceived today and how it affects the psychological state of people. The author analyses the works of Ukrainian and
foreign scholars, in particular with regard to the identifying the basic concepts of decorativeness. Attention is drawn to
the harmonious coordination of parts into a whole, inherent in nature, which ancient artists took as a basis in creating
buildings, in particular temples, as extremely important buildings of antiquity, which is noticeable in the coherence of
the decor with the entire structure. The historical retrospective highlights the evolution of decorativeness and the
transformation of views on its purpose in the 20th century. Attention is drawn to the causes and consequences of the
attitude change of leading architects and designers towards symmetry and decorativeness at the beginning of the 20 th
century. Since decorativeness is mostly characteristic of architectural monuments, in the context of current events, in
particular Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, damaged monuments will require restoration. The destruction
of buildings disrupts the integrity of the architectural environment, which expands the scope of professional challenges
for restoration specialists and communities. The example of visual coherence discussed above is relevant to the
restoration of ornamentation and decorative elements in the post-war urban environment as a guarantee of creating a
harmonious architectural form.