designprobe
The Idea Program

Geometry

"Since the time of Newton’s Opticks, painters had been entranced by the colored surface of things. The 20th century changed that. Like the X-ray pictures of Röntgen, it looked for the bones beneath the skin, and for the deeper, solid structure that builds up from the inside the total form of an object or a body. A painter ... is engaged in the analysis of structure ... the interest has shifted from the skin and the features to the underlying geometry."

Jacob Bronowski, The Ascent of Man.

In the past there were strong ties between geometry and architecture.
The Greeks began from a single point in space.
Polar Co-ordinates.
The Gothic Cathedrals were built as layers.
2D templates guided the master masons.
The Renaissance modelled in 3D.
Platonic Solids.
Timber houses are the offspring of the Renaissance.
Cubes and root 2.
The Sydney Opera House is the skin of an orange.
More 3D curves.
Antonio Gaudi turned architecture upside down.
Non-linear 3D curves.
What's next in a world of chaos and complexity?
Who knows how?
The biggest prize awaits.
The trick is the fit.
Construction and Form.
It must be useful to be of use.


The Future of Architecture Table of Contents
Next Article: Design Systems


about us 2researchtrendssearchwhats newhomeprobe

© designprobe 2002. all rights reserved.
Melbourne, Australia