Chapter 13 - Optical Illusions In Architecture

Many illusions are found in architecture. Many of these were recognized long before painting developed beyond its primitive stages. The classic Greek architecture displays a highly developed knowledge of many geometrical illusions and the architects of those far-off centuries carefully worked out details for counteracting them.

Drawings reveal many optical illusions to the architect, but many are not predicted by them. The ever-changing relations of lines and forms in architecture as we vary our viewpoint introduce many optical illusions which may appear and disappear. Any view of a group of buildings or of the components of a single building will exhibit some optical illusions. In reality we never see the same relations of lines, forms, colors, and brightnesses as indicated by the drawings or blue-prints. Perhaps this is one of the best justifications for the construction of expensive models of our more pretentious structures.

Click the link below to start reading this chapter.

Optical Illusions In Architecture, Columns Optical illusions in architecture.

Del.icio.us     Digg This     Technorati     BlinkList     Furl     Reddit