Math and Architecture

The great architecture of the world shares a profound similarity: mathematics.

The Taj Mahal in Agra, India features line symmetry with two lines, one vertical down the middle of the Taj, and one along the waterline, showing the reflection of the prayer towers in the water.

The Eden Project, in South West England, that opened in 2001 is another mathematical marvel. It features greenhouses – geodesic domes made up of hexagons and pentagons, and is derived from phyllotaxis , the mathematical basis for most plant growth where opposing spirals are found in many plants.

Furthermore, their education center, named “The Core” is inspired by plants, using Fibonacci numbers to reflect the nature featured within the site.

One of the most famous examples has to be the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. It was first constructed in 430 or 440 BC and built on the Ancient Greek ideals of harmony.

This is demonstrated in the building’s perfect proportions of the Golden Ratio and the utilization of the width to height ratio of 9:4 that governs the vertical and horizontal proportions of the temple and other sections of the building.

The Great Pyramid of Giza in Cairo, Egypt, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World has a perimeter of 365.24 cubits — the number of days in the year.

That’s not all. The pyramid’s perimeter divided by twice its height is equal to 3.1416 — Pi.

Last but not least, the King’s Chamber measurements are based on a Pythagorean triangle (3, 4, 5).

If these are not love letters to mathematics, I don’t know what is.

For more, visit http://blog.tripbase.com/9-most-mathematically-interesting-buildings-in-the-world/

Thanks to Jovyn Chamb @jovynchamb for making this photo available freely on Unsplash

– Christinba Sng for Maths@Singapore

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Author

Christina Sng is a three-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author that finds peace in mathematics and the macabre. Her poetry, fiction, essays, and art appear in Fantastic Stories of the Imagination, Interstellar Flight Magazine, and The Washington Post. Aside from having over 20 years of experience in the field of writing, she also has an extensive background in UX design and IT. Her educational background combined with her interests and neverending curiosity about the world is the perfect recipe to have her tackle fascinating topics about math. She is able to approach the highly logical field of mathematics through an extremely creative lens that sheds new light and exposes new avenues on how it impacts our lives.