THE COMMON EVOLUTION OF GEOMETRY AND ARCHITECTURE FROM A GEODETIC POINT OF VIEW

Abstract

Throughout history the link between geometry and architecture has been strong and while architects have used mathematics to construct their buildings, geometry has always been the essential tool allowing them to choose spatial shapes which are aesthetically appropriate. Sometimes it is geometry which drives architectural choices, but at other times it is architectural innovation which facilitates the emergence of new ideas in geometry. Among the best known types of geometry (Euclidean, projective, analytical, Topology, descriptive, fractal,…) those most frequently employed in architectural design are: – Euclidean Geometry – Projective Geometry – The non-Euclidean geometries. Entire architectural periods are linked to specific types of geometry. Euclidean geometry, for example, was the basis for architectural styles from Antiquity through to the Romanesque period. Perspective and Projective geometry, for their part, were important from the Gothic period through the Renaissance and into the Baroque and Neo-classical eras, while non-Euclidean geometries characterize modern architecture.