Review of Steen Eiler Rasmussen. Experiencing Architecture
That scale and proportion play a very important role in architecture is unquestionable. In an architectural drawing , we use scale to specify the ratio that determines the relationship between the drawing and the actual building.
Scale It refers to how we perceive or judge the size of something compared to a reference standard or to the size of something else. Therefore we are always comparing one thing to another. We often compare an object's size to the size of our own bodies.
Visual Scale It refers not to the actual dimensions of things, but rather to how small or large something appears to be in relation to its normal size.
Hierarchical Scale Hierarchical Scale refers to the deliberate use of relative size in a work of art, in order to communicate differences in importance. Almost always, larger means more importance and smaller means less important.
Distorted Scale An artist may deliberately distort scale to create an abnormal or supernatural effect.
Proportion In experiencing, the scale of an art work we tend to compare its size to our own bodies. Proportion is proportion in art the comparative harmonious relationship between two or more elements a composition with respect to size, colour, quantity,degree, setting& principles of art.
Human Scale Human scale refers to the size of a form when compared with our own human size. Human scale in architecture is based on the dimensions and proportions of the human body.
There is one proportion which has attracted great attention ever since the days of antiquity. This is so called Golden Section [a:b= b:(a+b)]
The golden section can be defined as the ratio between two sections of a line,or the two dimensions of a plan figure, in which the lesser of the two is to the greater as the greater is to the sum of both.
Architecture has its own, natural method of propotioning and it is a mistake to believe that proportions in the visual world can be experienced in the same way as the harmonic proportions of music.
In order to construct well and distribute his effort to advantage, to obtain solidarity and utility in work, he has taken measures , he as adopted the unit of measurement, he has regulated his work , he has brought in order.
Architecture is the first manifestation of man creating his own universe, creating it in the image of nature , submitting to the lows of nature , the lows which govern our own nature, our universe.
Visual weight The apparent "heaviness " or "lightness " of the forms arranged in a composition, as gauged by how insistently they draw the viewer's eye .When visual weight is equally distributed to either side of a felt or implied center of gravity , we feel that the composition is balanced.
Symmetrical Balance A design in which the two halves of the composition on either side of an imaginary central vertical axis correspond to one another in size, shape and placement.
Asymmetrical Balance Two sides that do not correspond to one another in size ,shape and placement.