SYMMETRY IN ARCHITECTURE

On our everyday life, we see a vast variety of buildings. Newer buildings are much more modern, some have different geometric shapes on them, others have weird shapes that we even wonder how can they hold themselves. An example for some of weird buildings is the F&F tower, in Panama, or the Dynamic Tower, in Dubai. Other buildings that we know (mostly from the past) are perfectly symmetric, a great example is the Greek Parthenon, built in 447BC in honour of the goddess Athena. 

 

Dynamic Tower

 

Parthenon

 

A close look to Parthenon's symmetry

 

F&F Tower

What we do know, is that symmetry is a great part in the bases of architecture, even weird buildings have symmetry. Some buildings' symmetry are easy to identify, because you can clearly see it with a quick look, but others can change according to the point of were you watch them, it may be different at one angle than at another one. 

I will talk about 7 types of symmetry: Bilateral Symmetry, Rotation and Reflection Symmetry, Cylindrical Symmetry, Chiral Symmetry, Similarity Symmetry, Spiral Symmetry and Translational Symmetry. For this entry I will introduce you to the first three; Bilateral, Rotation and Reflection, and Cylindrical. 

Bilateral Symmetry:

This is the most seen and common use of symmetry in architecture. It is the one that if you half it, it is a perfect mirror image of the other half. It is seen in many cultures, such as the greek. For example, whenever they put columns on a building, they calculated that the number of columns would be an even number, so the line of symmetry was never on a column, but dividing them.  The number two is really used in this type of symmetry, they have a dual function, they always do two of them (for example two aisles).

Rotation and Reflection Symmetry:

This is the central point of a space in architecture, which gives movement and harmony to the architecture. This is commonly used in basilicas and religious temples. They can be hexagons, heptagons, pentagons... 

Dome of the Rock, a Islamic building in Israel. We can see its rotational symmetry, it is an octagon.

Cylindrical Symmetry:

Is the one found in towers and columns, vertically enlarged buildings or forms of architecture. 

Corinthian columns

On my next entry, I will introduce you to the next 4 types of symmetry in architecture.