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Now architecture consists of order, which in Greek is called taxis ... Order is the balanced adjustment of the details of the work separately, and, as to the whole, the arrangement of the proportion with a view to a symmetrical result.
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Architecture entails a harmonious arrangement of details that contributes to the overall symmetry of the work.

This quote by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio emphasizes the importance of order and balance in architecture. It suggests that well-designed structures stem from carefully adjusting individual elements while ensuring that they contribute to a cohesive and symmetrical overall design. Vitruvius highlights the necessity of proportion and detail in creating aesthetically pleasing architecture, underscoring that true beauty lies in the ordered relationships among various components of the work.

Themes

ArchitectureOrderBalanceDesignSymmetryDetails

In practice

Example use cases

During an architecture lecture, this quote can showcase the importance of symmetry in design.

More from Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Architects should be educated, skillful with the pencil, instructed in geometry, know much history, have followed the philosophers with attention, understand music, have some knowledge of medicine, know the opinions of the jurists, and be acquainted with astronomy and the theory of the heavens
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Architect's designs must refer to the unquestionable perfection of the body's symmetry and proportions. If a building is to create a sense of eurythmia, it is essential that it mirrors these natural laws of harmony and beauty
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Beauty is produced by the pleasing appearance and good taste of the whole, and by the dimensions of all the parts being duly proportioned to each other.
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I am moreover inclined to be concise when I reflect on the constant occupation of the citizens in public and private affairs, so that in their few leisure moments they may read and understand as much as possible.
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I, therefore, O Caesar, do not publish this work, merely prefixing my name to a treatise which of right belongs to others, nor think of acquiring reputation by finding fault with the works of any one.
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But I, Caesar, have not sought to amass wealth by the practice of my art, having been rather contented with a small fortune and reputation, than desirous of abundance accompanied by a want of reputation.
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