2. Symmetry

Symmetry

Symmetry is an elementary geometric principle with simple mathematical foundations and a widespread architecture principle. Symmetry appeals to a very human desire for balance, though balance can also come from asymmetrical things. Essentially, symmetry in architecture is that the two halves of a building or part of a building mirror each other; the shapes and forms on one side correspond to those on the other. This is a prevalent trope, so I have pulled a couple of examples. The first is the 191 Peachtree Tower in Atlanta, Georgia, which is composed of two towers connected in the center. These towers are identical, and a line drawn vertically down the middle between them would show the building’s symmetry. The forms on one side completely match those on the other. Another example is the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, whose facade is also perfectly symmetrical down the middle. However, the deconstruction of the SIS building in London shows much better how the building’s individual forms relate to each other and give it its symmetry. It separates the building’s basic forms so one can match a form on one side with its counterpart on the other. Symmetry is thus integral in many cases to understand a building’s formal composition.

Clockwise from the top right:

The upper levels of 191 Peachtree Tower in Atlanta, Georgia designed by John Burgee. Photo from Peachtree Commercial Real Estate.

A decomposition I did of the facade of the SIS building in London, U.K.

The front of the Taj Mahal in Agra, India designed by Ustad Ahmad Lahouri. Photo by Arian Zwegers.

The upper levels of 191 Peachtree Tower in Atlanta, Georgia designed by John Burgee. Photo from Peachtree Commercial Real Estate.

A decomposition I did of the facade of the SIS

The front of the Taj Mahal in Agra, India designed by Ustad Ahmad Lahouri. Photo by