Since the beginning of 20th century, many architects have expressed their opinions about ornament.

First Adolf Loos, recants ornament and creates spaces without “unnecessary” exaggerations, with frugal furnishing and openings that “lead” the look to nature or to the city.

Adolf Loos’ opinion was adopted also by other architects, but there were also those who opposed to it, like the architect G.Semper and the sociologist Simmel that considers the decoration as a means of social status of the householder.

The Bauhaus, with main representative W.Gropius, declared that architecture concerns all the world and transformed it according to the economic situation of the working class. It created, that is to say, decoration without luxurious materials or other “pompous babbles”.

In the same spirit, the architect Grete Schutte-Lihotzky created the Frankfurt Kitchen, a kitchen that requires the minimum possible space and the minimum effort of user.

Spaces and buildings with simple structures, without stylistic extremities are the buildings created by the architects L.Kahn, E.Saarinen, F.L.Wright etc.

Mies van De Rohe was also in the same spirit and created spaces perfectly simple, “simply” furnished.

As decades went by, and as life of medium American became better, mass media and pop aesthetics came with luxury. That was mentioned by R.Venturi in the book “Learning from Las Vegas”.

The separation of the user in energetic and passive was first made by W.Benjamin. According to him passive is the user that adjusts his needs to the architect’s blueprint, and active is the user that participates in the process of drawing.

P.Collins, E.DeGory etc. proposed flexibility in the process of drawing as medium of “activation” of the user, something that can be achieved with open plan which W.Alsop, Le Corbusier, Mies van De Rohe, P.Eisenman, Libeskind, etc. used in their blueprints.

The movement of Situanism International, prompted user to become active and undertake the responsibility of planning. Situanists claim that the “Death of the Architect” begins with the birth of user. Yokohama Port Termina by FOA, and Park de la Villette and Le Fresnoy National Studio for Contemporary Arts by Tschumi were built for this purpose.

There is also Weather and Electromagnetic Architecture. An example of Weather Architecture is the Blur building by Diller and Scofidio, while example of the second category is the book “Electroclimates” by  Dunne and Raby.

The Institute of the Illegal Architects (IIA), proposes a hybrid of producer and user in the process of drawing, an opinion that the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) expressed as well.

Post-modernism questioned the fact that an architect could become pioneer. The answer was given by P.Stark who was called to decorate F.Mitterand’s office. He revised old ornament creating a new modern one.

Post-modernism came with an obsession for pictures. Pictures and images led to the redefinition of architecture, creating a new more “popular” and downgraded architecture, a massive cultured architecture.

IKEA stores express massive culture as they propose cheap and modern furnishing. IKEA stores are outnumbered, promoting a world wide decoration style.

Mass media like television and press are getting interested in decoration. Magazines, books, and tv shows of decoration are getting more and more, creating a new type of ornament, an ornament purposed for the masses.