Mathematician sums up laws of architecture

For Nikos Salingaros, an artist and professor of mathematics at UTSA, architecture is the perfect combination of science and art - a mixture of principles and creative vision. Recently, Salingaros has authored papers identifying three laws that he believes govern beauty in architecture.

Salingaros based these laws on the work of Christopher Alexander, a well-known architectural theorist at the University of California at Berkeley. Alexander, originally trained as a mathematician, will soon publish "The Nature of Order," a book which explains the theories he's derived after 30 years of work in the field. Salingaros' papers are a continuation based on Alexander's results and will be published in the December 1995 issue of Physics Essays.

What attracted you to Alexander's work?

Most architects follow contemporary trends that have no connection with fundamental logic like mathematics. But in mathematics we have something that is absolutely true and can be proven. Alexander was the first architect in history who understood that there are mathematical laws anchoring architecture, and to me that was a profound discovery.

How did you arrive at these laws of beauty?

The laws I've derived don't necessarily govern beauty in architecture, they govern life in architecture. They are extracted from physics and mathematics by looking at how nature is put together. I discovered these laws by observing how fundamental particles come together to form a structure - this is what makes the universe work and from that I have abstracted my laws.

When these rules are applied to buildings, the result is something beautiful and that is the validation of these scientifically derived laws. But these rules apply not only to buildings, but to all man-made structures.

Are there any buildings in the area which satisfy these laws?

Buildings in San Antonio with extraordinary beauty are the Alamo, most of the missions, and San Fernando Cathedral. The new library fails to satisfy the laws except for the color - it has beautiful color. So it's alive in that sense but fails in terms of geometry.

It seems as though you view buildings as more of a living organism than a structure.

When man creates something, it assumes its own character. When you stand next to a building, you feel something, you respond to a building emotionally. That means that you are reaching to that building as if you were standing next to a person or a tree or animal - something that is, in fact, alive.

The reason, you connect with a structure is because it seems to have some life of its own and you respond to it in many different degrees - either positively, negatively or by remaining neutral. These are reactions that occur on the pre-human level - built in emotional responses to the environment that you cannot control.

So what happens when you walk into a new structure?

When you step inside a great building, you feel elated emotionally, you connect with it and want to stay there for hours because it's a moving experience. Most universally acclaimed buildings capture that sense of life - the great cathedrals in Europe, ancient Greek ruins, and most medieval Islamic architecture.

In unattractive buildings you feel uncomfortable, you want to get your business done and leave as soon as possible. Most buildings we have today are neutral. You go through them or pass in front of them and you feel nothing.

How else can people identify beautiful buildings?

For a building to feel peaceful and nourishing there must be good space, geometry, color, light, circulation - a number of different factors. And if any of them are not right, you feel less comfortable.

Many people understand these things instinctively. It's something natural in humans that they try to apply by surrounding themselves with things they like - things with beautiful color and detail, or certain colors, textures and shapes. If they can afford to, they will surround themselves with beautiful antiques or other objects.

People without money also try to satisfy these rules. They will paint their homes in beautiful, vibrant colors or put up decorations. The only ones who suffer are the middle class who inherently want to satisfy these rules but are taught by culture to go with what's in vogue.

How can these laws change modern architecture?

Utilizing these laws, we can build a structure so that when you walk into it, you will stop at the entrance, because you will be so moved by its beauty. It will be like getting nourishment or listening to beautiful music. You will connect with the structure of the building and fully enjoy it, and that's something that rarely happens today.

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