Answer

Parthenon’s Design

There has been a great deal of discussion about the scale and proportional ratios used in the Parthenon design. Some scholars say that none of the proportional ratios was used, while others point to their obvious inclusion throughout the design. This discussion elaborates on how Parthenon’s design relates to four artistic principles: Golden Section, Proportions, Hierarchical Scale and Distorted Scale.

The Parthenon is one of the most famous examples of classical architecture in Athens, Greece, and illustrates the Golden section’s application in its design. The Golden Section is found everywhere in nature and considered the most beautiful and used in art and architecture (Lüttge & Souza, 2019). Few insights show that Parthenon used the Golden Section in its design. Although the Parthenon is now in ruins and its original features are a subject of discussion, Parthenon was constructed using few parallel lines to make it aesthetically pleasing. Considering that the Golden Section is found everywhere in nature, it might have influenced the Parthenon’s design.

The Parthenon’s pleasing proportions are derived from the ratio 9:4. This is a mathematical ideal that shows the relationships of length to width, width to height and space between columns compared to their diameter. With these proportions, the Parthenon’s attains a harmony that almost surpasses understanding (Kissock, 2018). The proportions correspond closely to the Golden Section.

The hierarchical scale relates to Parthenon’s design because it sits on a cliff above Athens. It is also huge and designed to worship or honour the goddess Athens (Dmitri & Ochs, 2018). Large signifies more important and smaller signifies less important. In relation to the distorted scale, all the lines in Parthenon that were supposedly straight are surprisingly curved. The distorted scale might have been the artist’s way of bringing out an abnormal or supernatural effect.

In summary, when proportion conforms to scale, all parts of the work look the way we expect them to. Rregardless of whether the scale and proportional ratios were used in Parthenon’s design, this architecture piece displays a timeless design that many have evaluated throughout history.

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