Circle in Architecture
- 1. A R C H I T E C T U R A L T H E O R Y SUBMITTED BY- S H U B H A M P A T I L ROLL NO.: 32 | VPPMPCOA
- 2. IN A R C H I T E C T U R E A R C H I T E C T U R A L T H E O R Y SHUBHAM PATIL | 32 | VPPMPCOA
- 3. Many mathematicains and philosophers consider circle as the most efficient and perfect geometrical shape. while theologians felt it supernatural or divine. For the artist the mysterious circle was always a thing of beauty and a joy forever. In the field of architecture architects used circles, semi- circles and spirals in different places like arches, windows, domes etc. The prehistoric people took the shape of circle when they built the mysterious ‘Stone Henge’. The use of circular shape can be seen in many temples in India especially when they designed the inner Sanctum Sanctorum. When we study the archaeological remains of the first settlements of mankind we will find in many occasions that the architecture of the houses on of a lot of the buildings has a circular form. Our ancestors choose to build round Because the ovid shape — eggs, tree trunks, and stones — is what they saw reflected in the surrounding natural environment. And, as usual, Mother Nature knows best. There is some natural science that makes round buildings more comfortable, more energy-efficient and safer — especially if the shape is combined with modern materials. The Circle is a universal symbol with extensive meaning. It represents the notions of totality, wholeness, focus, infinity, unity, timelessness, the Sun, the Moon, the entire Universe. SHUBHAM PATIL | 32 | VPPMPCOA
- 4. GOING BACK SHUBHAM PATIL | 32 | VPPMPCOA The Greek scholar Proclus called a circle as "the first, simplest and most perfect form,”where every point on the circumference is exactly equidistant from the center. A fascination and interest in circles predates recorded history, with many ancient cultures finding approximations for pi—the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter—thousands of years before mathematicians gave it that name with the tasty homophone. Because of their symmetry, circles were seen as representations of the “divine” and “natural balance” in ancient Greece. Later on, the shape became a vital foundation for the wheel and other simple machines. A focus on circles is evident among structures built throughout history. ,
- 5. Circular houses use inherently fewer materials than their square counterparts, an attractive option when resources are scarce and extra labor meant expending precious energy. Round homes stand up to extreme weather. Their curved roofs make them wind resistant— they are less susceptible to high- velocity gusts lifting up the roof and tilting up the house. As wind can flow around the circular structure, instead of getting hung up around the angles, these homes are particularly resistant to hurricanes and tornados. In terms of function and efficiency, a look at indigenous architecture tells the true tale of why round homes reign supreme. Whether a nomadic Yurt, Navajo Hogan, or Arctic igloo, cultures have built round structures for specific reasons. SHUBHAM PATIL | 32 | VPPMPCOA
- 6. Gobekli Tepe, a series of stone circles in Turkey, is the oldest known temple, built 6,000 years prior to Stonehenge. The shape marks many more important gathering places used by diverse cultures as centers of worship, governance and even spectacle. SHUBHAM PATIL | 32 | VPPMPCOA And with dozens of interconnecting points forming a strong support system, circular houses have extra structural strength and flexibility. This is the reason you will see round architecture adapt to heavy snowfall and earthquakes. And the rounded walls help with the heat as well. With 20% less exterior wall space, heating and cooling bills are automatically reduced and good natural airflow means comfort, even in desert climates.
- 7. SHUBHAM PATIL | 32 | VPPMPCOA The interior spaces of a round home follow the same patterns. Round buildings use less wall, floor and roof materials to enclose the same square footage as a rectangular structure. 15 to 20% less material is used to create the same square foot building compared to a rectangular design. Air and temperature move naturally in a round space. The thermal dynamics of open-at-the-top architecture round space uses no external energy to circulate temperature. Roof trusses meet in a center ring, producing inward and outward pressure which holds the roof in a state of compression. ADVANTAGES OF HAVING A CIRCULAR SPACE
- 8. Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad in Ahmedabad by Louis Kahn While Kahn was designing the National Assembly Building in Bangladesh in 1962, he was approached by an admiring Indian architect, Balkrishna Doshi, to design the 60 acre campus for the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad, India. Much like his project in Bangladesh, he was faced with a culture enamoured in tradition, as well as a harsh desert climate. Kahn incorporated local materials – brick and concrete – and large geometrical façade extractions as homage to Indian vernacular architecture, in an effort to blend modern architecture and Indian tradition. SHUBHAM PATIL | 32 | VPPMPCOA EXAMPLES
- 9. “Ex of In” House in New York by Steven Holl Architects This artist residence in Upstate New York features multiple three-dimensional circle shapes – a series of spheres intersect with the main trapezoid volumes, achieving an exciting 3D circle effect. The carved-out timber shapes are especially dramatic in the entrance hall, and at the large feature window set on the corner of the upper floor. Interestingly, this house can sleep five guests despite having “zero bedrooms”. SHUBHAM PATIL | 32 | VPPMPCOA EXAMPLES
- 10. National Assembly Building in Dhaka Bangladesh by Louis Kahn National Assembly Building of Bangladesh in Dhaka is an extraordinary example of modern architecture interpreting Bangali vernacular architecture. The building, completed in 1982, stands as one of Kahn’s most prominent works. The design called for simplistic local materials that were readily available and would protect against the harsh desert climate. The entire complex is fabricated out of in situ concrete with inlaid white marble – a testament to the local materials and values. Simply magnificent in every way. SHUBHAM PATIL | 32 | VPPMPCOA EXAMPLES
- 11. SHUBHAM PATIL | 32 | VPPMPCOA EXAMPLES Château La Coste Art Centre by Tadao Ando The building, conceived by Tadao Ando for Château La Coste, adopts many of the Japanese master’s signature elements to create an extraordinary experience of light and space in nature. Ando’s uniquely smooth concrete walls are marked by a series of conical points and are organised into tatami proportions. His sculptural use of this medium creates strong geometric lines, framed points of view and a variety of reflections throughout the day.
- 12. The Third Eye-Micro Renovation in Shanghai, China by Wutopia Lab This project is a renovation of an existing heritage building housing an office for a video company, completed on a low budget. The architects cut out two circles from the existing facade sitting opposite the front door, with the intersection of the two circles suggesting the third eye. In Chinese culture, the third eye stands for supernatural talent, which allows one to see what others cannot. The third eye represents the video company’s pursuit of discovery of the creative and the unusual, with two blue sections of glass highlighting the intersection. When the sun shines through the blue glass, it leaves mysterious shadow on the floor of the front door and the courtyard. SHUBHAM PATIL | 32 | VPPMPCOA EXAMPLES
- 13. Your Rainbow Panorama by Olafur Eliasson Olafur Eliasson‘s installation ‘Your Rainbow Panorama’ was completed in 2011. The permanent elevated structure provides a 360º view of the city of Arhus, Denmark. Suspended between the city and the sky, the viewing platform insists on the sensory engagement of those who enter it. The continuously circular pathway sits on top of and proportionality compliments the ARoS museum of art, designed by Schmidt Hammer Lassen in 2007. Measuring 150 meters around, the transparent glass unit is designed to act as a visual compass for the city, its colours marking the physical location of each visitor. SHUBHAM PATIL | 32 | VPPMPCOA EXAMPLES
- 14. SHUBHAM PATIL | 32 | VPPMPCOA EXAMPLES Solomon R Guggenheim Museum by Frank Lloyd Wright The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum was the last major project designed by the great Frank Lloyd Wright. The museum was built between 1943 until it opened to the public in 1959, six months after the architect’s death, making it one of his longest works in creation along with one of his most popular projects. The exterior of the Guggenheim is a stacked white cylinder of reinforced concrete swirling towards the sky. The museum’s dramatic curves of the exterior have an even more stunning effect on the interior with “one great space on a continuous floor.”
- 15. SHUBHAM PATIL | 32 | VPPMPCOA EXAMPLES Chiesa di Mogno (Church of San Giovanni Battista) by Mario Botta This extraordinary building made from alternating layers of native Peccia marble and Vallemaggia granite was extremely controversial, but eventually became a landmark known far beyond the borders of Switzerland. The church has no windows, and the interior – which seats about 15 people – is only illuminated by natural light streaming in through the circular glass roof.
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