THE ISSUE OF TERMINOLOGICAL AND EXPLANATORY CONTENT OF THE CONCEPT OF “ARCHITECTURAL DECOR”

Abstract

Based on the bibliographic analysis of foreign and Ukrainian literature, the article examines historical and theoretical studies of the concept of “architectural decor”. In particular, the main meaning of the concept of “decor” is determined and studied from the perspective of the problem of its role in the architecture.At different stages of development of the architecture, decor played an important role in formation of shapes of buildings. Accordingly, discussion of decor was almost always the main topic of architectural discourses. However, the research of key texts on architecture shows a lack of a precise definition of decor and its functions in the architecture that could give a clear idea of its nature.The scope of this concept is so wide that it is difficult to reach an affirmative understanding and a general consensus on the definition of the concept of architectural decor in the architecture. In connection therewith, this article intends to combine the views of different scholars and methods of using of this term in texts on architecture and art history, including dictionaries and encyclopedias. As a result, we were able to characterize its main content. The article also examines the concept from the lexicological point of view, outlining the difference between ornament and decor.In general, the concept of decor encompasses processes of architectural development and traditions of a certain period, what characterizes the architectural decor as an important style-forming element being in unity with the three-dimensional composition, emphasizing its expressiveness and carrying specific information.