The United States Capitol is one of the most famous buildings on the Mall. If a vertical line were placed in the middle of the building, both sides would be exactly the same, that is, the building shows symmetry.
This is a design that is on the celling of the National Cathedral. If you divide this picture in half vertically, one side would match perfectly with the other. This design is symmetrical, making it pleasing to our eyes.
This is also taken in the National Cathedral. The arches are exactly symmetrical. If they weren't, there would be structural issues. Symmetry is used to be easy on the eyes and for structural reason.
The Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church across from campus is also symmetrical. Again, if a vertical line were placed in the center of the building, one side would directly match the other.
Asymmetrical Images
Our very own Katzen Arts Center has an asymmetrical design. No line could be placed to make each side symmetrical. The design, to me, is very pleasing because so many buildings we see are symmetrical. To see a break in the "traditional" architecture is a nice change.
This statue, outside of Katzen, is one of my favorite on campus. Besides it's bold color, it is not a traditional sculpture of people that we see all around the city. Again, I find the asymmetrical design pleasing and unique.
The SIS building on Campus is not symmetrical when looked at from the entrance. The left side of the building sticks out more than the right, which, even though it looks sort of symmetrical in the picture, create an asymmetric design.
Ordinarily, the lights on campus are symmetrical. This light, because of the American University banner on the left, shows asymmetry. It looks "left heavy." Placing only one banner on the pole, draws our attention to it. Asymmetry can be a good tool to use when we want to catch people's attention. 
No comments:
Post a Comment