Ornament is not a crime

Adolf Loos once said that the “Absence of ornament has brought the other arts to unsuspected heights” but I tends question this after visiting the National Gallery of Singapore. Within the building, there is carefully crafted walls, balustrade and widely sized openings. They are dressed up in pleats. There is folding, layering and depth. I am not so sure if that’s what the architect’s intention to keep the heritage element and therefore the ornament, but it definitely convinces me to think that ornament is not a crime.

The other thing that fascinates me is the manipulation of light in the space. The roof is composed of big skylight supported by bracing systems and the roof hold water. So that when the light strike the building, the light penetrate the roof and casting glittering effect on the walls. It is almost like the light is dancing on the wall.

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