P a t t e r nP a t t e r nEspecially as found in

architecture and the works of M. C. Escher

"Art is the imposing of a pattern on experience, and our

aesthetic enjoyment is recognition of the pattern."

-Alfred North Whitehead, English philosopher and mathematician.

A pattern is a form, template, or motif (or more abstractly, a set of rules) which can be used to make or to generate things or parts of a thing. This is especially true if the things that are generated have enough in common for the underlying pattern to be suggested or understood, in which case the things are said to exhibit the pattern.

Pattern relies on the principles of rhythm and repetition.

Some patterns are named; simple decorative examples are stripes, herringbone, plaids and zigzags.

Examples in Architectural Design

Lion Court at the Alhambra, Granada, Spain

Details from the Alahmbra

Why has pattern been applied so often to architecture?

What affect does it create/how does it make occupants feel?

The Baptistery of the cathedral in Florence, Italy

Interior detail from the Great Mosque in

Cordoba, Spain

The Doges’ Palace, Venice

Pont du Gard, Arles, France

Examples Examples on Planes on Planes

and and SurfacesSurfaces

Herringbone pattern

Detail of roof vent from La Predera in Barcelona. Designed by Antonio Gaudi.

Ogee pattern

Formal and informal pattern

Art Ara Pacis, from ancient Rome

Day and Night, M. C. Escher – all following works are also by this artist

Sky and Water

Circle Limit I Circle Limit III

Circle Limit IV

Symmetry Work

Creating a patternCreating a pattern• Determine a structure.

(use of space, here a standard grid)

• Determine an interval. (distance, frequency)

• Determine a motif. (visual element, here a pentagon)

• Consider options: rotation, integration, alternation, complex rhythms