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Design Photography: Let's Get Symmetrical
Photographers celebrate symmetry with interior compositions in perfect balance
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City. I have Bachelor of Architecture and Master in Urban Planning degrees, and over ten years experience in architectural practice, split between Chicago and NYC. Currently I'm focused on writing and online pursuits. My daily blog can be found at http://archidose.blogspot.com
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City.... More »
Lately I've been infatuated with how architecture is presented via imagery. Photographs and renderings are highly biased and manipulated views that attempt to present a building in its best light, if you will. Having previously looked at the aesthetic merging of photographs and renderings, and then at residential interiors sans furniture, this ideabook dissects one aspect of design and its presentation: symmetry.
Tracing itself back to the Renaissance and the invention of perspective drawing, bilateral symmetry was popularized in Beaux Arts architectural education centuries later. Plans and façades that are mirrored about an axis can still be found, but they are not as common these days, stemming from a number of factors, such as Modernism's influence and complicated sites that require asymmetry. Nowadays, symmetry is found more in small areas, such as a single room, rather than an overall building.
More: Why There's Beauty in Grid, Column and Row
Symmetry is also something that is "found" and then presented in photographs. A space or exterior may embody a hint of symmetry, but the framing of a photo and the staging of furniture and other elements heightens this sense of balance. The following photos are all strong symmetrical compositions, be they designed or found.
Tracing itself back to the Renaissance and the invention of perspective drawing, bilateral symmetry was popularized in Beaux Arts architectural education centuries later. Plans and façades that are mirrored about an axis can still be found, but they are not as common these days, stemming from a number of factors, such as Modernism's influence and complicated sites that require asymmetry. Nowadays, symmetry is found more in small areas, such as a single room, rather than an overall building.
More: Why There's Beauty in Grid, Column and Row
Symmetry is also something that is "found" and then presented in photographs. A space or exterior may embody a hint of symmetry, but the framing of a photo and the staging of furniture and other elements heightens this sense of balance. The following photos are all strong symmetrical compositions, be they designed or found.
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| This living room is part of a house that is anything but symmetrical, but the centering of the structure gives this room its own symmetry. The matching sofas and on-axis coffee table heighten the sense of symmetry. |
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| As in the previous photo, the sofas, as well as every other furnishing in this room, accentuate the bilateral symmetry. The reflection of the photo frames in the mirror even gives the impression of a central vanishing point, akin to Renaissance perspective. Yet I can't believe that this small room would function like this, with two sofas facing each other. |
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| This shot is by the same photographer as the previous example (and the next), and again sofas are used for simulating symmetry. But here they are side-by-side as well as facing. The lamps and coffee tables also stress symmetry about the large window, but the walls on either side are anything but the same. |
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| A last photo by Elad Gonen & Zeev Beech shows a more organic symmetry, with a sofa facing chairs and a side table. The lines of that mattress-like coffee table, though, certainly point the way towards the center of the horizon. |
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| This may not be the type of space I tend to feature, but there is something about the photo that is kinda eerie. I think the symmetry heightens that sensation, as does the soft lighting and the compression of the ceiling on the sides. |
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The gable end of this house exudes symmetry, especially with its centered openings. But note how the room inside is not symmetrical and how the a canopy and steps are barely visible at right, signaling a porch that belies this elevation's balance.
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| Can a corner be symmetrical? In this case the answer is yes. The orange bench, controls, and even the stone joints in this shower create a balanced symmetry on the diagonal. Only the inset shelf is not mirrored above the corner. When seen from another angle, this bathroom is anything but symmetrical. |
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| Here is another diagonal composition that appears symmetrical, belying the actual nature of the room. While the mirror and frames are not identical, the former's reflection of the latter strengthens the apparent symmetry. |
Here the symmetry of the room is accentuated by the door frame that we are looking through. Who knows what it is keeping out of our view? A piano for one, which creeps into the frame at left.
| In this view most elements are balanced perfectly: the doors, the wall, the skylight, the two types of stools. Interestingly the other pieces — picture frame, twigs, fruit bowl, petrified wood (or whatever that is in front of the counter) — opt for asymmetrical balance, so they maintain their singular nature. |
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by Nicole Hollis
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| Here a carefully placed mirror accentuates the symmetry of the furniture, also making the room appear more exciting than it is. Two questions: Do those chairs go with that table? And where is the photographer/camera in the mirror? |
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| Here is some Taj Majal-esque symmetry (in that it is framed across a pool). The positioning of the chairs makes it stronger. I like that the axis is a void in the wall that frames the trees beyond. |
| The symmetry of this hallway is achieved by echoing the long window at left with the mirror at right. The IKEA shelf at the end with the wilting flowers atop adds a touch of humor. |
| Here is some slightly off-kilter symmetry, probably an attempt to meld the furniture with the space. The fireplace and photo determine the central axis, but they don't quite align with the double doors in the foreground. This situation is aggravated by the placement of the couches (aligned to the doors) and the striped chair (aligned with the fireplace). |
| Last, this room is made to appear symmetrical through the placement of the couches and lamps, and the introduction of those monitors displaying the same image. The room feels like it is linear, extending to the left and right, but this photo condenses the space through a perpendicular, symmetrical arrangement. Tell us: Are you drawn to symmetry? More: Why There's Beauty in Grid, Column and Row |
Ideabook published on Nov. 16, 2011.
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The same applies to architecture and design: to me, too much symmetry is as "brilliant" as buying sets. I like the John Lam photo. There is symmetry in the room, but the rest is about scale and balance.
"Let's Get Physical" was running through my head while looking at the photos :).