Urban space is a world of geometric bodies. Take a look around. Static prisms rise everywhere. Sometimes powerful pyramids appear in front of the eye. In some places flashy striking Platonic and Archimedean bodies flicker. Most architectural buildings are polyhedrons, as well as their simple and complex combinations. And this is not a trend of our time. So it has been for centuries. Geometry and human needs for comfort, beauty and self-expression dictate their own rules.
Geometry in architecture
Science and art have gone from ancient times to the present, hand in hand. Geometry and architecture together originated, developed and improved: from the simplest residential structures and unspoken rules to carefully designed masterpieces and clear laws. Strength, beauty and harmony of buildings at all times provided geometry. In the architecture of cities, its rules were combined with the needs and imagination of man.
Rectangular buildings are stable and multifunctional, so on the streets there are more than others. The pyramids are inferior to them in practicality, but they look more impressive. They are erected in exceptional cases. With Platonic and Archimedean bodies, people dilute architectural forms that have become familiar. Designing buildings that take the form of these polyhedra is in most cases a difficult task. But art is more important. Therefore, architects make a lot of efforts to cope with it. And as a result, they create world masterpieces. So, we will analyze each case with a separate example.
Direct prism
Direct prisms are the most common polyhedra in the architecture of any city. These are small "Khrushchevs", high-rise buildings, as well as massive skyscrapers.
A typical example of a direct prism can be the world-famous hexagonal tower Pirelli, erected in Milan in 1960. The skyscraper was notoriously unprecedented for those times - 127 meters. And it contained 32 floors. The reinforced concrete giant even surpassed the Cathedral of Milan, which was crowned with a statue of the Madonna, which caused great public outrage. After all, the building was higher than the shrine. To smooth out the discontent, the designers of the skyscraper P.L. Nerva and J. Ponti had to place a copy of it on the roof of their creation.
The tower was built by order of the famous company Pirelli, which produces car tires, at the very spot where its first factory was located. An elegant building with a facade made of aluminum and glass has become a symbol of the revival of the Italian economy after the war and received the title of the most elegant skyscraper in the world.
Tilt prism
In Madrid is another no less remarkable architectural object. Towers of the "Gateway to Europe", in the form of inclined prisms, gather around themselves no less than tourists than the Pirelli building. Skyscrapers 114 meters high are inclined to each other at an angle of 15 °.
It is this architectural feature that they owe their name to. American engineers and architects F. Johnson and J. Burgi broke the stereotypical view of the familiar appearance of tall buildings, and the Gateway to Europe towers became the first inclined reinforced concrete giants in the world and one of Madrid's most popular attractions.
Regular pyramid
Prism buildings are competing with architectural objects in the form of regular pyramids, though not in quantity, but in popularity.
If the architect is planning to create a structure of this form, then it will certainly become a real masterpiece. Maybe the whole thing is the magic of the ancient Egyptian pyramids, erected more than 4 thousand years ago for the burial of the pharaohs? Who knows, however, an outstanding example of this is the “Palace of Peace and Accord” in Astana, the capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The architectural creation of aluminum, glass and steel was created according to the principles of the “Fibonacci Golden Ratio”. It reaches a height of 61.8 meters and has the same width of the base. The pyramid is known for its elevators, which do not move vertically, but diagonally to the top of the structure. The palace serves as a meeting place for leaders of world religions and is considered a symbol of friendship between different faiths and nations. Anyone can visit it: get acquainted with the culture of Kazakhstan and the world as a whole.
Truncated pyramid
Architectural buildings can take the form of not only regular pyramids, but also truncated ones. The buildings look more massive due to their seemingly cut peaks. The Cuculcan pyramid, built by the Maya Indians in the ancient city of Chichen Itza in Mexico, is truncated. It reaches a height of 30 meters and a width of 55. It consists of 9 square blocks, and at its top is a temple. 4 stairs lead to it: one on each side of the world. In the days of the spring and autumn equinox , a mysterious visual effect arises on the pyramid: a deity woven from sunlight, a feathered Serpent, in whose honor the pyramid was erected, glides along its steps. In the spring it creeps up, and in the fall - down.
Such polyhedra are considered a rarity in present-day architecture. An example is the building of the Slovak radio. It is an inverted truncated pyramid. The structure looks spectacular and, despite the external gloominess, attracts tourists.
Regular polyhedron
Platinum bodies or regular polyhedra in architecture in their pure form are also extremely rare. And these are mostly hexahedrons. So, in China, the original Cube Tube complex was built, the main element of which is an office building in the form of a cube.
The architects of Sako Architects bureau filled its facade with an incredible amount of square windows interspersed with terraces. Due to this, the structure looks spectacular and seems weightless.
The original design of the Cuboidal Mountain Hut mountain hotel was proposed by a team of Czech architects Atelier. The huge hexahedron, according to him, will be built of wood, and from the top is sheathed with aluminum panels. Solar panels on the roof and walls, the system of accumulation and purification of rainwater, as well as electric generators will make it possible to live in it, regardless of the environment. The cube is like a giant ice floe falling from high mountains. One of its peaks is directed towards the sky, the other as if went into the snow. If the project is implemented, it will become a real sensation.
Semi-Regular Polyhedron
To create non-standard objects, Archimedean bodies are used (or in another way semi-regular polyhedra). In the architecture of various cities, such buildings become real magnets for tourists. Pay attention to the National Library of Belarus. She rightfully earned the status of one of the most original structures in the world because of her form of the rhombocuboctahedron. This Archimedean body consists of 18 squares and 8 triangles.
Because of this form, a library is often compared to a diamond or diamond. The building becomes especially similar to these gems when it lights up at night. The project “Belarusian diamond” appeared back in 1980 and even became the winner of the All-Union competition. But they managed to bring it to life only at the beginning of the XXI century. The library has 23 floors and reaches a height of 75 meters. In addition to the huge book fund and reading rooms, the building also houses an observation deck with a magnificent view of Minsk, a room for children, and a restaurant.
Non-convex polyhedron
The urban landscape requires constant changes, so the use of polyhedra in architecture has recently acquired a slightly different character.
Truly human fantasy has no limits. Innovative architects break the stereotypical notion of the beauty of buildings using now-non-convex geometric bodies in their projects. All of their points lie on opposite sides of each face, which allows you to achieve a stunning effect.
A typical example would be the Seattle Public Library. Architect R. Kulhaas tried to make the building as futuristic as possible. Broken asymmetric architectural forms of the eleven-story building made of glass and steel mesh were not liked by all residents of the city, and many simply caused outrage. The library even received the nickname: "a huge ventilation shaft." But she has a lot of fans. The architecture features of the building attract an unprecedented number of visitors, and many come to look at it from other cities and countries.
Polyhedrons and architectural styles
Each architectural style has its own striking features. And polyhedra emphasize them favorably. Massive pyramids highlighted the power of Ancient Egypt. Now the buildings made in the form of this polyhedron are known all over the world, so attractive is the style. The shape of the prism that skyscrapers have is characteristic of modernism. They embody the ideas of internationality and functionality. Compare the tower of Pirelli in Italy and the Metlife Building in America. Regular and semi-regular polyhedra in architecture are typical of postmodernism, because they are opposed to the routine of urban buildings.
Non-convex polyhedra are used in deconstructivism to create kinks and destructive forms that introduce a pleasant dissonance into the ordinaryness of rectangular buildings. Architects and engineers put the familiar upside down, changing styles. But our space remains filled with invariable and eternal geometric bodies, whether it be pyramids or prisms.