Geometry of Guggenheim

Guggenheim Bilbao
Geometry

Vocabulary

acute angle - forming an angle 89 degrees or less.

cantilever -A beam that is supported firmly at one end and carries a load distributed evenly along the beam.

cube - a regular 6 faced solid shape whose faces are all squared.

cylinder -A solid 3-D shape figure with circular bases and has no vertices

intersect - when two or more shapes or lines meet at a point and over- lap.

obtuse angle - forming an angle greater than 90 degrees.

parallel - for two or more lines which go straight and never meet.

right angle - forming an angle of exactly 90 degrees.

semicircle - the shape of half a circle.

tessellation - in a checkering pattern (like in a checkers board.)

When eyes fall on the free-form building visitors would guess that there is no geometry in the building. Though it may seem like there isn't, beneath the titanium there lies a vast amount of geometry. The shapes in the building fit together to create the whole. Colorless rectangles are tessellated to look like fish scales. Rectangles repeat and scalene and right triangles help complete the pattern of the titanium panels. The lines the panels created intersect. The lines also are parallel. When the lines intersect they create right angles, obtuse angles, and acute angles. The single Tuscan column at the back of the building is a perfect cylinder. The large cube on the exterior have blank walls. The volume creates interior space. Large rectangular windows in the rear of the building provide natural light. The colors of the Guggenheim have repetition. The undulating curves form cave-like spaces. The Guggenheim has many multilevel cantilevers. Some of the cantilevers are from the prow of the ship. The cylindrical forms are stacked upon each other. Ramps are used in the building. Some of the shapes are umbrella like and form semicircles. Without the geometry the buildings you see everyday would not exist.

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Hypersnap by Cindy