MATH 7210 : Foundations of Geometry
II
University of Georgia, Spring
2001
Dr. McCrory, Instructor
Spherical Symmetry
Examples of spherical symmetry in architecture
are rare because humans must walk on horizontal planes. Most architecture
that exhibits spherical symmetry does not utilize a whole sphere
but is built to appear spherical by using other shapes.
Resource: Williams, Kim (1998). Symmetry
in Architecture. (http://turing.mi.ssau.ac.yu/vismath/kim/)
Example 1: US Pavilion at Expo '67
Location: Montreal, Canada
Architects: Buckminster Fuller and Shoji Sadao
Building Type: Exhibition hall
Symmetry: The exhibition hall was built to resemble
a sphere by using interlocking triangles.
Resource: GreatBuildings.com (http://www.GreatBuildings.com/buildings/US_Pavilion_at_Expo_67.html)
Example 2: Newton's Cenotaph
Location: Never built
Designer: E.L. Boulee
Building Type: Monument
Symmetry: This monument could never be built
because it contains a perfect sphere!
Resource: ArtServe at Australian National University
(http://panoptic2.anu.edu.au/search/cache.cgi?collection=anu-crawled-external&doc=http://rubens.anu.edu.au/htdocs/surveys/modarch/byarch/display00055.html)
Example 3: Spaceship Earth at Epcot Center
Location: Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Architect: ???
Building Type: Exhibition and ride
Symmetry: The outer shell of the ride was built
using triangles.
Resource: Disneytyme.com (http://disneytyme.com/Epcot.html)
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