Twenty-Six Design Concepts, Illustrated

rhythm In music, rhythm serves a guiding foundation for the entire piece. It provides a cohesive sense of character, with the rhythmic pattern informing the stylistic color and mood of the melodic parts. Similarly, architectural rhythm establishes a recognizable aesthetic pattern that can greatly affect a building's character. Defined as repetitive, patterned usage of a visual element or group of elements, rhythm in an architectural design can be composed through a fairly complex, patterned facade, or more simple means. Perhaps the most common example of rhythm in architecture is windows; spanning typologies from homes to high rises, window patterns can serve as a strong guiding rhythm. In the exterior staircase for Atlanta's AmericasMart, John Portman ties together parallel geometry into a strong rhythm that defines one of the city's most satisfying architetcural features.