Ideal proportion in architecture: usage and examples

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Architecture of different times and peoples amazes with its forms and styles. But the most famous buildings were built using well-designed schemes that made it possible to visually perceive the monumental building easily. Proportions in architecture are a harmonious ratio of elements, segments and figures that make up the building. This is a found balance between different masses, which gives integrity to the general appearance of the structure.

What do the Pentagon and Notre Dame Cathedral have in common? The answer will be unexpected - geometry. It is mathematics and geometry that unites these structures with the help of one secret formula, which looks like a: b=b: c or c: b=b: a. It's simple.

Golden Ratio: what is it

As far back as 1500 B. C. e. the correct ratio of individual parts in relation to the whole was known. History knows many examples of the ideal distribution of proportions in buildings, religious objects, works of art. The secret lies in the ratios called the "Golden Ratio", and equal to the Fibonacci number of 1, 618 …, expressed as a percentage as 62% to 38%.

One of the great original people who worked closely on the golden ratio system is Leonardo da Vinci, who understood the secrets of ideal perception and brought them to a finished form, creating a whole direction. All his works are subject to a clear plan of the golden section. Such an ideal proportion in architecture has become a symbol of logic and harmony thanks to the diverse works of da Vinci.

Divine proportion: what is created by nature

Let's turn to nature, which is unconditional and strives for the ideal. In any created process, you can observe this magical proportion of 62:38. Having come to the conclusion that harmonious perception is inherent in a person by nature, scientists called this ratio "Divine Proportion".

Archimedes expressed it in a spiral, repeating the outlines of a clam shell, once noticing its ideal forms. Divine proportion in architecture is expressed by comparing the various elements of the building and bringing them to one whole, harmonious for perception.

Indeed, either perfection or ugliness usually attracts the eye. Both have the same roots. Perfection is an ideal created according to the golden ratio system, and it does not matter whether an artificial or natural source was used in its creation. Ugliness, on the contrary, attracts with a complete mismatch of harmony, which forces you to subconsciously look for beautiful proportions inherent in nature. And iftry hard to find them. This phenomenon excites the brain, forcing us to look for calm geometry in everything.

Ideal Buildings

There are a large number of buildings, structures, monuments and works of art in the world that can become a symbol of harmony laid down by nature. Ideal golden, divine proportions in architecture are unambiguously shown by examples of structures. The buildings are so harmonious that there is not the slightest feeling of discomfort when looking at them. Here are some examples.

Incredibly beautiful Assumption Cathedral of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra was built according to the principle of divine proportion. The baroque style is in harmony with the snow-white walls and golden domes of the cathedral.

Another example is the Petrovsky Travel Palace, designed by architect Matvey Kazakov. The majestic building was built by order of Catherine II. The inner courtyard, two wings and the building itself are subject to divine proportions.

Taj Mahal… A palace, a one-of-a-kind monument to great love. The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan gave it to his late wife. The legend of the Taj Mahal is beautiful and sad in the oriental style.

Monumental buildings, with rich decoration, occupying more than one hundred meters, it would seem that they should overwhelm with their size and power. Nevertheless, they are pleasing to the eye, make you admire and return to them again and again.

Art and architecture

Architecture, art - everything that is created by man and strives for the ideal for man. Many architectsartists and musicians are trying to find the golden mean, those very divine proportions, so that the work they create turns into a masterpiece. Proportion in architecture and art plays an important, if not the first role. Any composition must be harmonious and stable. The golden ratio in architecture, as well as in music, is designed to give people the pleasure experienced from contact with beauty.

Oriental proportions

East is a world created according to the laws of nature. Everything that relates to the created works of art strictly adhere to certain rules, without retreating a single step. Geometry is the forte of oriental art. The famous Taj Mahal - an Indian palace made of white marble - has perfect proportions.

Decoration of rich houses, palaces of the countries of the East is also subject to the divine proportion. Arches with a triple ascending vault, the arrangement of windows, doors and facades of the main palace entrance clearly demonstrate the skill of architects and artists. The conscious or subconscious use of proportion in architecture and art by oriental masters created a unique oriental style, which is distinguished by its originality and desire for natural harmony.

Styles in architecture and interior design

The use of proportion in architecture and art of different times and peoples led to the fact that each subsequent era, taking the basic elements of one style, gave birth to its own unique direction in art. The golden ratio is observed in all worthy buildings of its time,despite the fact that the appearance of the elements varies greatly.

Greece

A country that has a rich heritage of architectural monuments can provide many answers to questions about the golden ratio. The proportions in Greek architecture tend to be ideal. One of the brightest examples is the temple of Athena - the Parthenon. The structure has practically no straight lines, and corresponds to the golden ratio, and the proportions of the rock at its foot are also divine.

Sculptures and busts created by ancient Greek masters have perfect proportions. Greek art makes it possible to understand that man, as a creation of God, is a perfectly proportional figure.

Victorian era

English Victorian style is based on the doctrine of the golden ratio. The desire for balance and symmetry, the use of clear lines in the ratio of heaviness of color and lightness of the forms of objects. The proportions of architecture in the Middle Ages are borrowed for the construction of structures and buildings at a later time. Facades of buildings with divine proportions became common in the Victorian era with its desire for harmony and static.

Neo-Gothic of the 19th century

This style continues the ancient gothic styles and predates the Victorian era. The proportions in the Neo-Gothic architecture of the 19th century also gave their followers gloomy vaulted buildings that go up, which repeat the same pointed openings of windows and doors. The arrangement of towers, portals and vaults is subject to a clear dry rhythm of the number 1, 68…

Neo-Gothic, while respecting the traditions of Gothic architecture, is becoming less dark. In it, observing divine proportions, different styles and directions of architecture are combined, while maintaining a common thematic focus. Combinations of round windows with upward lancet vaults and towers are also subject to the golden ratio, which makes for a harmonious perception of the entire structure as a whole.

Golden ratio and religion

Most temples, churches, and other religious buildings are based on the golden ratio. The divine proportions in the architecture of these buildings can also be explained from a theosophical point of view. The monk Luca Pacioli in 1509 saw harmony in geometry, which he explained as follows: if the whole segment is accepted as the Holy Spirit, then the smaller segment is the Father, and the smallest is the Son. Thus, once again the influence of natural harmony on the perception of the world by man is emphasized.

Our time is a pentagram

Pentagram is one of the options for finding the golden segments of the divine proportion. The construction method was already known in the 16th century thanks to Albrecht Dürer. The German painter had a mathematical mindset, his graphics are expressed in clear lines, assembled in a composition according to all the rules of geometry.

Pentagon

The golden ratio in the architecture of the Pentagon is manifested in the form of a pentagram, which is composed of a regular pentagon. Each ray of the five-pointed star fits perfectly into the formulagolden ratio. Inside the building, everything is still subject to these proportions. This is one of the few buildings built in our time, where the use of divine proportion is clearly visible.

Visual Harmony

It is interesting to perceive the forms and proportions of architecture, examples of which are presented below. Monumental structures do not crush with their mass, they are perceived easily, thanks to the ideal aspect ratio of the building.

The Pyramid of Giza is one of the greatest creations of man, with its own secrets and mysteries. The pyramid was built using the knowledge of the theory of the golden section. Now more and more disputes are underway, but are the pyramids of Egypt built according to the principles of divine proportions.

The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary is a white marble cathedral in Milan, reproducing the Gothic style of architecture. Just the moment when this style gradually began to acquire features characteristic of the later Neo-Gothic period.

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood is a building with its harmony and sophistication conducive to calm contemplation. The building belongs to the neo-Russian style. The golden ratio is perfect here.

Such structures, seemingly different in architecture, possessing only their inherent geometry and lines, still have one thing in common. Divine proportions made it possible to bring these works of art into the category of world masterpieces of architecture.

Using the golden ratio

The golden section rule is used everywhere. When a person is constantlymoves furniture in the house, trying to find the very location that would please the eye, he does this subconsciously. The harmony laid down by nature is trying to find its place in the surrounding space. A person will move and rearrange furniture until he comes to that very magical ratio, to the Fibonacci number, to the golden proportions.

The ideal ratio is used in architecture, household items, clothes, dishes. For example, a dinner service for 6 or 12 people can also be considered in terms of the golden ratio. High quality jewelry, especially vintage handmade jewelry, clearly shows the right balance.

In architectural monuments, the laws of golden proportions are clearly visible both in the facades of buildings and in the surrounding landscape. The gardens and parks of Versailles, Peterhof, the Royal Palace in Morocco or Japan - all built in accordance with the laws of the golden section. Magnificent compositions, thoughtful arrangement of paths and architectural objects are designed to deliver aesthetic pleasure and delight the eye with their harmony.

Golden proportion in architecture and magic

Many scientists, historians, mystics and psychologists are trying to solve the riddle of the golden ratio. Pyramids and temples, which are built according to divine principles, are able to heal a person, restore his strength, and give energy. In a house where the interior is created according to the laws of the golden section, a person feels calm, able to have a good rest, and notexperiencing stress. The study of these facts made it possible to attribute the phenomenon of the golden section to the magical, that is, to the area in which certain laws operate directly between the material and spiritual principles.

Many have noticed that when a gloomy castle rises before your eyes, looking up with sharp columns, there is a feeling of something mystical, something that cannot be overcome without certain knowledge. The secret is that only those buildings that have one of the two qualities of divine proportion can evoke such a feeling. The first quality is the proportions of perfection, the second is the buildings that make you subconsciously look for the ideal ratios.

Servers of ancient cults and orders often used this feature for their own purposes, choosing palaces and temples for their residences, capable of evoking both positive and negative emotions. Thus, they could subjugate people who did not have secret knowledge of the laws of geometry, psychology and harmony. Even now, when most of the secrets of the past have become available, many people do not understand the reasons for the emotions that arise when they are near religious temples or ancient buildings.

Conclusion

Based on all that has been said, one can understand how to create harmony around oneself, how to find that very unattainable ideal in visual perception. If we take the proportions of a person as a basis, then we can create an ideal home for him, where everything - the area, interior, furniture, doors and windows - is subject to dry numbers and the golden ratio. In such a house, a person should be simplyhappy. If you follow the laws of divine proportions, you can choose everything in this life for yourself, make your own, individual space and be in harmony with yourself and with nature all the time.