The architecture of different times and peoples is striking in its forms and styles. But the most famous buildings were built using clearly designed schemes, which made it possible to visually perceive the monumental building easily. Proportions in architecture are a harmonious correlation of elements, segments and figures that make up a building. This is the balance found between different masses, which gives integrity to the overall appearance of the structure.
What is all the same between the Pentagon and Notre Dame? 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. Everything is simple.
Golden ratio: what is it
As early as 1500 BC e. the correct ratio of individual parts to the whole was known. History knows many examples of the ideal distribution of proportions in buildings, religious objects, and works of art. The secret lies in the ratios called the “Golden Ratio” and equal to the Fibonacci number 1.618 ..., in percentage terms it is expressed as 62% to 38%.
One of the great original people who worked closely according to the golden ratio system is Leonardo da Vinci, who understood the secrets of perfect perception and brought them to a finished look, creating a whole direction. All his works are subject to a clear plan of the golden ratio. This ideal proportion in architecture has become a symbol of logic and harmony thanks to the diverse work of da Vinci.
Divine proportion: what is created by nature
Let us turn to nature, which is unconditional and strives for the ideal. In any created process, one can observe this magical proportion 62:38. Having come to the conclusion that harmonious perception is inherent in man by nature, scientists called this ratio “Divine proportion”.
Archimedes expressed it in a spiral repeating the outline of a mollusk shell, once noticing its ideal forms. The 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 - an ideal created by the golden ratio system, and it doesn’t matter if an artificial or natural source was used in its creation. But ugliness, on the contrary, attracts with the complete discrepancy of harmony, which forces us to subconsciously look for beautiful proportions inherent in nature. And, if you try, you can find them. This phenomenon excites the brain, forcing to search for calm geometry in everything.
Ideal buildings
The world has a large number of buildings, structures, monuments and works of art, which can become a symbol of harmony inherent in nature. The ideal golden, divine proportions in architecture, examples of structures show clearly. The buildings are so harmonious that there is not the slightest feeling of discomfort when looking at them. Here are some examples.
Incredible beauty The Assumption Cathedral of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra was built on the principle of divine proportion. The baroque style is in harmony with the snow-white walls and the golden domes of the cathedral.
Another example is the Petrovsky Palace, designed by architect Matvey Kazakov. The magnificent building was built by order of Catherine II. The courtyard, two wings and the building itself are subject to divine proportions.
Taj Mahal ... Palace, one of a kind monument to great love. The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan gifted it to his late wife. The legend of the Taj Mahal is orientally beautiful and sad.
The monumental buildings, with rich decoration, occupying more than one hundred meters, it would seem, should be suppressed by their size and power. Nevertheless, they are pleasing to the eye, forced to admire and return to them again and again.
Art and architecture
Architecture, art - everything that is created by man and for man strives for the ideal. Many architects, artists, musicians are trying to find a middle ground, those same 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 should be harmonious and stable. The golden proportion in architecture, as well as in music, is intended to give people the pleasure experienced from contact with the beautiful.
Proportions of the east
East is a world created according to the laws of nature. Everything that relates to the created works of art adheres to certain rules, without retreating a single step. Geometry is the fad of oriental art. The famous Taj Mahal - the Indian palace of white marble - has perfect proportions.
The decoration of rich houses, palaces of the East is also subject to divine proportions. Arches having a triple rising arch, the arrangement of windows, doors and facades of the main palace entrance - clearly demonstrate the skill of architects and artists. Conscious or subconscious use of proportion in architecture and art by oriental masters has created a unique oriental style, which is distinguished by its originality and desire for natural harmony.
Styles in architecture and interior
The use of proportions in architecture and art of different times and peoples led to the fact that each subsequent era, taking the basic elements of the same style, gave birth to its own unique direction in art. The golden ratio is observed in all worthy structures 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. Proportions in Greek architecture strive for perfect. One of the striking examples is the temple of Athena - the Parthenon. The construction has practically no straight lines, and corresponds to the golden section, and the proportions of the rock at its foot are also divine.
The sculptures and busts created by the ancient Greek masters have perfect proportions. Greek art makes it possible to understand that man, as God's creation, 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 the heaviness of color and lightness of the shapes 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, having a divine proportion, became common in the Victorian era with its desire for harmony and static.
Neo-Gothic 19th century
This style continues the ancient Gothic styles and precedes the Victorian era. The proportions in the architecture of Neo-Gothic architecture of the 19th century were also presented to their followers by gloomy vaulted, rising buildings that repeat the same pointed openings of windows and doors. The location of the towers, portals and arches is subject to a clear dry rhythm of the number 1.68 ...
Neo-Gothic, observing the traditions of Gothic architecture, nevertheless becomes less dark. In it, observing divine proportions, different styles and directions of architecture are combined, while maintaining a common thematic focus. The combination of round windows with lancet arches and towers extending upward is also subject to the golden ratio, which makes up a harmonious perception of the whole structure.
Golden proportion 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. In 1509, the monk Luca Pacioli saw harmony in geometry, which he explained as follows: if the whole segment is accepted as the Holy Spirit, the smaller segment is the Father, and the smallest is the Son. Thus, the influence of natural harmony on the perception of the world by man is once again emphasized.
Our time is the pentagram
The pentagram is one of the options for finding gold segments of 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 proportion in the architecture of the Pentagon is manifested in the form of a pentagram, which is composed in a regular pentagon. Each ray of a five-pointed star fits perfectly into the golden ratio formula. Inside the building, it is still subject to these proportions. This is one of the few structures built in our time, where the application of divine proportion is clearly traced.
Visual harmony
An interesting perception of the forms and proportions of architecture, examples of which are presented below. The monumental buildings are not crushed by their mass, they are perceived easily, thanks to the ideal aspect ratios of the building.
The Giza Pyramid is one of the greatest creations of man, possessing its secrets and mysteries. The pyramid is built using the knowledge of the theory of the golden section. Now more and more disputes are underway, and whether the pyramids of Egypt were really built according to the principles of divine proportions.
The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary is a white-marble cathedral in Milan, which reproduces the Gothic style of architecture. Just that moment when this style gradually began to acquire features characteristic of the later period of the Gothic Revival.
Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood - a building, with its harmony and sophistication has a peaceful contemplation. The construction belongs to the neo-Russian style. The golden ratio is observed here perfectly.
Such, it would seem, different in architecture buildings, 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 architectural masterpieces.
Using the golden ratio
The golden ratio rule is used universally. When a person constantly moves furniture in the house, trying to find the very arrangement that would please the eye, he does it 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, in household items, clothes, utensils. For example, a table set for 6 or 12 people can also be considered in terms of the golden ratio. In high-quality jewelry, especially in antique handmade jewelry, the correct ratio is clearly visible.
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, the Petrodvorets, the Royal Palace in Morocco or Japan, are all built in accordance with the laws of the golden section. Magnificent compositions, well-thought-out arrangement of paths and architectural objects are designed to provide 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 mystery of the golden section. Pyramids and temples, which are built according to divine principles, are able to heal a person, restore his strength, give energy. In a house where an interior was created according to the laws of the golden section, a person feels calm, is able to relax well, and does not experience stress. Investigations of these facts made it possible to attribute the phenomenon of the golden section to magic, that is, to the area in which certain laws act directly between the material and spiritual principles.
Many people noticed that when a gloomy castle rises up in front of my eyes 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 two qualities of divine proportion can cause such a feeling. The first quality is the proportions of perfection, the second is the building, which subconsciously searches for ideal proportions.
This feature was often used for their own purposes by the ministers of ancient cults and orders, choosing palaces and temples for their residences that could cause both positive and negative emotions. Thus, they could subjugate people who did not possess 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 next to religious churches or ancient buildings.
Conclusion
Based on all that has been said, one can understand how to create harmony around oneself, how to find the very unattainable ideal in visual perception. If you take the proportions of a person as a basis, you can create the perfect home for him, where everything - area, interior, furniture, doors and windows - is subject to dry numbers and a golden ratio. In such a house, a person should be simply happy. 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 constantly.