SOURCES OF DECORATION
A modern abstract façade can add up to dull architecture.
Similarly a severe historical building whose beauty derives
almost totally from proportional systems tends not to
attract our attention for very long. Just as a townscape
made up almost entirely of modern office blocks can be a
visually depressing experience, so too a district of
buildings constructed according to strict classical
principles can be quite lifeless. The Victorian writer on art
John Ruskin was particularly critical of Queen Street in
the heart of Georgian Edinburgh for this very reason when
he visited the city in 1853.
It is a responsibility of buildings that they enrich the
public domain. Frequently the sources of richness derive
from the simple expression of how people wish to live.
For example, an apartment block will probably contain
balconies where families can sit in the sun, dry their
clothes or grow their plants. These activities not only
enrich the façade, but provide justification for the
presence of certain architectural details: the balcony may
be edged by a balustrade or a colourful awning may
protect the area from the midday sun. Similarly French
windows can add an extra dimension to a room by
opening up a view on to the street, but because such
large openings require closing at night for acoustic and
visual reasons, there may be window shutters as well as
doors and probably a lace curtain. All three features
become part of the architecture of the façade – and
worthy subjects for drawing.
Entrance doors are often similarly treated, and where
there is a slight change of level, plants around the steps
add to the diversity of the scene. As doorways need to be
lit, there are often interesting light fittings projecting from
the wall face and complementing the other special
qualities of the entrance.
Each element of the building can be so treated. The
celebration of function in this everyday fashion is part of
our architectural tradition. The more the façade gives
expression to the activities of the building, the richer the
architecture. Earlier we saw how the form of the building
can be manipulated to allow people to ‘read’ the activities
it contains, but here the detailed expression of function is
the source of our interest.
Shops are a good example of how local colour can be
provided at the base of buildings. Not only will the form of
the building change to accommodate a different function,
but there will be shop signs, goods on display and
pavement activity to add diversity to the immediate
environment. Where shops, banks and restaurants occur,
there will probably be competition for space and
attention, and here the architecture will probably respond.
This visual richness bred of competition is a healthy
aspect of the building façades of most high streets.
Decorative ironwork, applied columns, pilasters
and banners are other ingredients of elevational em-
bellishment. Often the orthodox will be distorted in order
to attract attention: exaggerated columns may mark a
shop or supermarket front, or ironwork may be twisted
into the curving forms of Art Nouveau.
By focusing upon the decorative elements of the
building façade, the student or artist will be able to relate
embellishment to function. Pure decoration in arch-
itecture can become a sham unless it is justified by use or
legibility. Although decoration is eminently drawable, the
real benefit lies in relating the four main strands together- of linking structure, function, proportion and decoration
into a united whole. Buildings are complex entities, and
though a specific style or artistic movement may focus
upon a particular aspect of their construction, most
façades reflect a compromise between conflicting
priorities. The freehand drawing can help break down the
façade into its component parts, and in the process
provide insights into the nature of architectural design.
130 Understanding architecture through drawing