Biology and Architecture: Two Buildings Inspired by the Anatomy of the Visual System

Abstract

Architectural production has been influenced by a variety of sources. Forms derived from nature, biology and live organisms, hadoften been utilised in art and architecture. Certain features of the human anatomy had been reflected in design process in variousways, as imitations, abstractions, interpretations of the reality. The correlation of ideal proportions had been investigated throughoutcenturies. Scholars, art historians starting with Vitruvius from the world of ancient Roman architecture, described the human figure asbeing the principal source of proportion among the classical orders of architecture. This study aims to investigate two contemporarybuildings, namely Kiasma Museum in Helsinki and Eye Museum in Amsterdam, inspired directly from the anatomy of visual system.Moreover the author discussed the relationship of biology and architecture through these two special buildings by viewing the eyeand chiasma as metaphors for elements of architecture.