A doctrine was introduced in the early 20th Century by the Austrian Adolf Loos that Ornamental Construction was a “crime” in that it was a waste of resources.
This was a terrible idea, failing to understand the real value played by ornament in the human environment, and leading to an era of of stripped-down, ugly buildings. Worse, it was borne of a racist doctrine, that Europeans were a superior race that, with their superi- or mechanical technology, had outgrown the need for ornament.
This was a naive attitude at best. It was not understood until recently that ornament, like biophilia, plays a key role in generating comfort and well-being in the built environment.