The role of symmetry in the temple of Minerva Medica is an act of formal regular formal organization. The symmetry and repetition in the diagram cause a complex but systemic form of organization in geometry that makes the overall form feel simple and regular. It is symmetrical in plan along the vertical axis but it combats that through asymmetry along the horizontal axis using the deletion of objects. My project approaches symmetry in a similar way symmetry is present in plan and at a local level. It challenges that symmetry globally, while the building does present a regular form it is not symmetrical globally. This project affects the surrounding area by breaking the regular rectilinear grid of the city. Just like in the project challenges regularity in symmetry not by complete asymmetry but through small instances of asymmetry. This building challenges the regularity of the grid ironically because it challenges using a form that is regular itself. Doing this suggests different forms of symmetry that create regular form.

Transformations of the diagram of The Temple of Minerva Medica

Symmetry

Symmetry is often mistaken for simplicity, a geometry or pattern in design that is simply repeated or mirrored to create the whole. When in actuality Symmetry is much more complex. It isn’t just about repetition it is also proportional and relational. The Temple of Minerva Medica is a prime example to show all these different types of symmetry. It is reflectionally symmetrical as a whole and seems simple, but as it is broken down into its smaller parts the proportional and relational symmetry becomes more apparent. There are direct relationships between the sizes of the niches. One of the most important driving factors to the form is its radial symmetry. Each space is divided evenly with ten niches with one missing totaling nine. This missing tenth element becomes the driving force for the adjacent spaces. In the transformation of the temple the prioritization of these relations in the diagram of the plan is what drives the new forms. If a buildings essence is defined by its symmetrical relations. Then if the geometry is morphed while preserving these relations they ae in essence the same building. The transformations are a combination of proportional changes to the horizontal as well as the vertical diagram of temple while preserving the symmetrical relations of the original building.