| Greek Classicism: 4 | The Golden Mean in Architecture: The Parthenon | |||||||||||||||
| 1. The Parthenon is a temple, a house for the statue of Athena, sacred goddess of Athens. Religious activities didn't happen inside, but outside her house, on the steps and in the courtyard. ATHENA 2. Their are no straight lines in the entire structure. A system of curves softens the angularity, reduces the way our eyes perceive such a heavy rectangular building. 3. The columns are placed to allow an unrestricted view of the statue. Each column gradually becomes thinner from the middle up. 4. PBS video on the Parthenon at THE ACROPOLIS EXPERIENCE 5. What are the Parthenon (Elgin) Marbles? Where are they now? Are they properly displayed? Should they be returned to Greece? 6. Take a guided tour of the Parthenon friezes known as the Parthenon Marbles and as as the Elgin Marbles. Demonstration of how the Parthenon was constructed using the Golden Mean proportions: No link at this time 2/21/08 |
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| The Parthenon, Athens, superimposed with a diagram showing the use of the Golden Mean in the Parthenon's design. | ||||||||||||||||
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| There is a [fascinating] way of adding numbers in a sequence that produces a perpetual mirroring of this proportion. In math it is known as The Fibonacci Numbers. Fibonacci shows how these proportions exist in reality. | ||||||||||||||||
| The Fibonacci Numbers. (1)Q. Who was Fibonnaci? (2)Q. What are the Fibonnaci Numbers? (3)Q. What is the relationship between the "Golden Mean" and the "Fibonacci Numbers?" (4)Q. Do the proportions of the Golden Mean apply to the human body? The Fibonacci Numbers and natural examples of the Golden Mean http://www.mcs.surrey.ac.uk/Personal/R.Knott/Fibonacci/fibnat.html |
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| P. 5. Greek Humanism | ||||||||||||||||