From classicism to modernity : architecture, mathematics and beauty

Abstract

This paper attempts at inquiring the evolving nature of the relationships between architecture and mathematics. Indeed, the ancient classical link has few in common with what we experience today. But this evolution cannot be attributed only to the progress in knowledge along the ages, whether in philosophy, art, sciences, or technology. It stems from the changing and evolving commitment and meaning that both mathematicians and architects, each on their own side, have put into their work, and also to the intellectual approach at the base of their professional researches and challenges. In addition, the ancient relationship between mathematics and architecture was built on a common sense of a certain beauty that evolved in time, and we can wonder what kind of inheritance is left today.