![]() One of the most famous is the Dancing House (Nationale-Nederlanden building) in Prague, Czech Republic. Above are three examples, one from Japan ( left) another from Poland which mocks the Communist era ( right) and Orlando’s famous Wonderworks House ( lower).Įastern Europe boasts a surprising number of surprising buildings designed both before and after the fall of the Soviet Union and its associated regimes. (image via: Hot Homes of Utah, Point Click Home and Floridahome-rental)Īrchitects who seek less mind-bending architectural optical illusions simply turn the concept upside down… by turning the building upside down. ![]() Examples of these include, clockwise from above: Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, a pavilion by Aldo Benedetti and this ethereal Stairway to Nowhere – no connection to Sarah Palin. Escher’s unspoken challenge and have tried to create actual structures which reflect the late artist’s virtual reality. (image via: Uwe Hermann, Enigmatico and New Media Designer) Escher and he shows it in his accurate as possible renderings, in Lego bricks, of many of Escher’s impossible structures such as Belvedere above. Escher’s act!Īndrew Lipson is an obvious admirer of M.C. Many of these depicted “impossible” buildings and architecture, with some better known examples shown above.Įven The Simpsons have gotten in on M.C. Escher was widely known for his curious paintings and drawings that played with perspective in unusual ways, yet still conformed to mathematical theories. A clever mix of inorganic stone and organic greenery softens the sever outlines of the structure while adding a note of whimsy. Here is another of Athem’s buildings, this one after completion. The so-called Melting Building, created by artist Peter Delavie for France’s Athem Co., is actually made from tarpaulins draped over the sides of a Paris building under construction. Modern architects often use traditional forms and styles as a starting point, then warp them to create something new that – either amusingly or disturbingly – puts a new twist on what we expect to see. Their influence was (and is) felt around the globe, as seen in the floor of Saltas cathedral in Argentina (above left) and the painted floor of Tokyo’s Sunshine City shopping center (above right). The Middle Ages and the Renaissance saw a rebirth of science, art and design as epitomized in the magnificent paintings of Leonardo da Vinci and Michaelangelo. Slightly wider corner columns, pillars that curve inwards and a floor that is 6 cm (2.4 inches) higher at its center all conspire to give the Parthenon an enduring beauty that is evident even in its current state.Īrchitects of the Classic Era worked mainly in stone, and the ancient Romans applied newly discovered knowledge of optics and perspective to create the amazing optical illusion mosaic floors shown above. ![]() Curiously, the many subtle techniques (called entasis) used by the Parthenon’s architects don’t make the structure look like something it isn’t – instead, they correct the viewer’s perceptions so that the temple looks as it should. The use of optical illusions in architecture isn’t new in fact one of the most outstanding examples is the Parthenon in Athens, Greece, constructed over 25 centuries ago. In effect, our own eyes are being used against us – and nobody’s complaining about the results! As architects struggle to balance aesthetic appeal with practical considerations, many are finding the best way to create bold, interesting, even mind-bending features is through the use of optical illusions.
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