Definition

Proper noun: * Adolf Loos: An Austrian architect and influential architectural theorist of the early 20th century, known for his opposition to ornamentation and his advocacy for functional, rational design.

Usage Notes

• "Loos" is almost exclusively used as a proper noun referring to the specific historical figure, Adolf Loos.
• It is not used as a common noun (e.g., it does not mean "loose things" or a plural form of "loo").
• When used in architectural or art historical contexts, it typically appears with his first name "Adolf" or in the possessive form "Loos's" when discussing his work or ideas.

Examples

• Proper noun:
  • The writings of Loos were crucial to the development of modernist architecture.
  • Adolf Loos famously declared that "ornament is crime."
  • The Steiner House is one of Loos's most celebrated works.

Advanced Usage

• "Loosian" (adjective): Pertaining to or characteristic of the architectural principles or style of Adolf Loos.
  • The building's stark, unadorned facade is a Loosian statement.

Variants and Related Words

• Ornament and Crime: The title of Loos's seminal 1908 essay, often cited to represent his core philosophy.
• Raumplan: A German term meaning "spatial plan," referring to Loos's innovative concept of arranging interior spaces as interconnected volumes of different heights, rather than as traditional floors.

Synonyms

• There are no direct synonyms for the proper noun "Loos." In context, one might refer to him as:
  • The architect Adolf Loos
  • The modernist theorist

Related Phrases

• "Ornament is a crime": The famous, simplified paraphrase of Loos's central argument from his essay "Ornament and Crime."

Noun

1. Austrian architect (1870-1933)