Geometry In Art and Architecture By Faith Schloss, Erin McKay, Giulia Simone, Jeremy Sallow

Geometry in Architecture You may not realize it, however, geometry is a large part of your every day life. Basic geometrical shapes make up some of our most complex buildings. Some very common geometrical shapes that we see are triangles, quadrilaterals, and circles. Architects use these basic shapes and their formulas to build extravagant locations in the city of Baltimore.

Architecture Geometry is an important aspect of architecture. Architecture differs from other arts because of its spatiality. Architecture makes extensive use of symmetry.

Architecture and Symmetry Architecture provides us with a special opportunity to experience symmetry as well as see it. There are many different types of symmetry.

Symmetry in Architecture Bilateral symmetry is the most common form of symmetry in architecture. Bilateral symmetry is when the halves of a composition mirror each other. Rotational and reflectional symmetry provide a sense of movement and rhythm in architectural elements. Cylindrical symmetry is found in towers and columns. Chiral symmetry is found in two objects which are each other’s mirror image and which cannot be superimposed. Similarity symmetry is found where repeated elements change in scale but retain a similar shape. Spiral or helical symmetry may be thought of as a special kind of similarity symmetry. Translational symmetry is the second most common kind of symmetry used in architecture.

Cylinders in Architecture The Imax theatre is an example of cylindrical symmetry. The cylinder is a basic component of geometry. One of the reasons that a cylinder shape was chosen for the Imax Theatre is because of its acoustic capabilities. Like other prisms in geometry, the volume of this figure can be found by finding the area of the base and multiplying it by the height. V= Area of base* height