2b-Gestalt Principles in Visual Design

Arch 111 Introduction to Architectural Concepts
Fall Semester 2020-21

Week 2b. Gestalt Principles in Visual Design

Arch 111 / 2020-21
Citations incomplete
for visuals from web
sources.
Gestalt pyschology explores how and what we perceive as

human beings.
Studies in Gestalt psychology go back to 1910, in the works of a

group of psychologists in Germany (Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka
and Wolfgang Köhler).
Wertheimer, in a paper titled “Theory of Form” (1923), concluded

that certain ‘gestalts’ are the result of our innate tendencies (i.e.
inborn, not learned).
In the 1920s, the group developed theories of visual perception,

Arch 111 / 2020-21
describing how a coherent whole is perceived when its elements

are arranged in particular ways.
The term comes from German GESTALT, translated as form and
shape; can be interpreted also as pattern or configuration.

-derives from the German root stellen:
to arrange, to organize
- implies an organized whole rather
than the sum of parts.
Whole is more than the sum of its parts.

(The unified whole is different from its parts.)
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According to Gestalt school of psychology, perception is wholistic

and contextual, i.e. not elementary.
We always perceive wholes, not isolated parts.
The influence of context: < > and > < being contextual factors.
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Gestalts for design (Gestalt laws / principles of visual organization)
1. Proximity 7. Center of Gravity

2. Similarity 8. Configuration
3. Continuity / Good Continuation 9. Common fate / Synchrony
4. Closure 10. Parallelism
5. Figure - Ground 11. Form Reproduction
6. Symmetry
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1. Proximity
Proximity: Objects in close proximity are

seen as being related. Dissimilar objects can
be made to relate by placing them nearer to
each other. Close proximities can be
developed to form separate visual groups.
dispersed vs. grouped

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Mario Botta
Cluster / Group
Proximity, i.e close arrangement of

elements create a group, which tend
to be perceived as a single whole,
even though they are separate
elements.
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Romanesque church
2. Similarity
Visual experience develops by perceiving contrasts and similarities

between the parts of a whole. Similar objects tend to group together.
Similarity can be in terms of shape, size, color, texture, value, motion.
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Similarity of shapes and motion: Similarity of shape and size.

Individual elements that make up the whole have
the same shape characteristics and directions. Contrast of color.
http://www.creativebloq.com
Trulli, Arberobello
Repetition
The recurrence of an action

or event.
Similarity of shape, size,
color, texture, direction...
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Rhythm
A repeated pattern of
movement.
Systematic repetition of an
element or a group of elements.
https://tharri15blog.wordpress.com/2015/03/08/rhythm-and-repetition/
We are familiar with rhythm in
music and dance, where time
and movement are coordinated.
In architecture, rhythm is present

in building elements (columns,
beams, windows, walls, etc.)
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designed in such way that they

display a recurring sequence or
flow of elements (or of a group
of elements).
Rhythm
Rhythmic arrangement of elements. Rhythm created by the repetition of the
same group that is made of different elements.
Arch 111 / 2020-21
(Right) Niemeyer
Arch 111 / 2020-21 Week 2b. Gestalt Principles in Visual Design
Car Park, Allies & Morrison

Orderly and random repetition.

VIDEO:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWDfxgngrNc
Swiss pianist Silvan Zingg on piano, Nuno Alexandre on bass and

Simon Boyer on drums. The dancers are the French couple
Mondrian, Manhattan Boogie-Woogie, 1942-43
William & Maéva.
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3. Continuity (Good Continuation)
If things are aligned in a straight or curvilinear manner, they are

perceived as being related. Greater number of parts aligned, as well as
greater proximity between them, yield stronger sense of relatedness.
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The eye is drawn along a path, The eye is led from the first
seeing a single continuous figure element towards the star.
rather than separate elements.
Continuity achieved by:
- similarity of shape and color, contrast of

size
- similarity of shape and size, contrast of

color
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4. Closure
We perceive objects such as shapes, letters, pictures, etc., as

being whole even when they are not complete. When parts of a
whole picture are missing, our perception fills in the visual gap.
(Visual completion of incomplete objects.)
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Arch 111 / 2020-21
Aradas House, RVDM Kimbell Art Museum, Louis Kahn (Photo: Xavier de Jauréguiberry)
5. Figure-Ground
The human eye wants to see

and separate objects from their
surrounding background.
We have a tendency to see the

figure and ground as two
different planes of focus.
words on a printed paper as the "figure"

and the sheet as the "background”
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Camouflage:
The objects are

disguised by blending in
with their surroundings.
Figure and ground are
blended.
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The Gestalt Switch: Shifts in Figure-Ground:
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Cases where the figure and

the ground are competing
M. C. Escher, Sky and Water (woodblock) 1938.

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Fish as figure transforms gradually into bird as figure, with alterna`ng

grounds as bird and fish.
Ambiguity of figure and ground as visual effect.
A favourite technique of Surrealist pain`ng and Escher's work.
René Magritte, surrealist painter

Figure-Ground / Solid-Void
St. Mark's Square, Venice

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SarphaSstraat Offices, Steven Holl, Amsterdam, 2000

6. Symmetry
Relatedness in shape and position with

reference to an axis or point.
This principle states that a composition
should not create a sense of disorder or
imbalance; otherwise the viewer will
try to locate the missing element.
When a sense of order and balance is
provided, the viewer has a feeling of
harmony.
Arch 111 / 2020-21
order
Balance
presenting a dynamic
Asymmetrical balance
W. M. Dudok, 1920s
Mario Botta, 1980s, 90s
Balance
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SKil Life, Giorgio Morandi (1890-1964)
Composiòns of humble household objects

(jars, bowls, vases, bofles pitchers, jugs, boxes)
Morandi's still life paintings look deceptively simple, yet he would spend
weeks obsessively shuffling the objects around to get just the right
placement. He would experiment with different combinations of objects
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overlapping and placed next to each other in a variety of ways, looking for
the right medley of forms.
https://www.art-is-fun.com/giorgio-morandi-still-life/
6. Center of Gravity (Focal Point)
Parts of a whole that attract our attention, mainly by their
dominant location, shape and size, often with elements of

contrast.
A point of interest, emphasis, or difference will capture and hold
the viewer’s attention.
Arch 111 / 2020-21
Gunnar Asplund Mario Botta

Center of Gravity occurs with:
Contrast
Dominance
Hierarchy
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Siena Cathedral (Duomo)

Center of Gravity
Mughal and Persian miniatures
8. Parallelism
Elements that are parallel

to each other appear more
related than elements not
parallel to each other.
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Candilis, Josic and Woods, Bochum University Aldo van Eyck, Pavilion (plan), Arnhem
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Mario Botta Nexus World Housing, Rem Koolhaas (OMA), Fukuoka, 1992
9. Common Fate / Destiny
(Syncrony, Directionality)
The law of common fate states

that humans perceive visual
elements that move in the same
speed and/or direction as being
more related than stationary or
scattered elements. A common
example is a flock of birds.
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10. ConfiguraFon
In visual perception we tend to simplify what we see. The most easily

understood is the most regular, the one that requires the least
simplification.
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The shape on the left is complex. We tend to see it as a combination of

three primary shapes (square, triangle, circle).
Prägnanz (Law of Simplicity, Principle of Economy)
A fundamental principle of Gestalt perception is Prägnanz (in English,

pithiness: concise and forcefully expressive).
We tend to order our experience in a manner that is regular, orderly,

symmetrical, and simple. This is directly linked to our ability to perceive
form and order; i.e. eliminate complexity and unfamiliarity in order to
observe a reality in its most simplistic form.
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We see the image on the left as a series of circles rather than many complicated shapes.
https://psychlopedia.wikispaces.com/Law+of+Pragnanz
simplicity vs. complexity

simplicity vs. simplistic
simple vs. ordinary
simplification vs. reduction
Pyramids of Giza
Tendency toward the

most regular and
stable forms.
Use of primary
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shapes, simple
geometric forms.
Oscar Niemeyer, Brasilia

Chaotic compositions, to
intentionally create
discomfort, confusion or
interest.
Frank Gehry, Walt Disney Concert Hall

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Coop Himmel(b)lau, Penthouse, Vienna Daniel Libeskind, Ontario Museum

simplicity
grandeur of pure geometric forms
Minoru Yamasaki (with Emery Roth)

World Trade Center, 1970-76
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simplicity vs. complexity
simplicity vs. simplistic
simple vs. ordinary

simplification vs. reduction
Over-simplification to the level

of reduction leads to monotony.
Arch 111 / 2020-21
Minoru Yamasaki, Pruitt-Igoe housing St. Louis, Missouri 1952-56

Minoru Yamasaki,
Pruitt-Igoe housing
Demolished 1972
Arch 111 / 2020-21
Minoru Yamasaki
World Trade Center
9.11.2001
"LESS IS MORE" –Mies van der Rohe

(Pioneer of the Modern Movement)
"LESS IS BORE" –Robert Venturi

(Theoretician of the Postmodern Movement)
à More on this LATER, in the coming weeks!

Arch 111 / 2020-21
11. Form Reproduction
If we know the complete form, and see only part of it, we reproduce the
rest of the image.
Arch 111 / 2020-21
Mona Lisa (La Jaconde)

Leonardo da Vinci, 1513-16
Leonardo da Vinci, The Last Supper, 1495–1498

Context
Monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan

Form
Content
References:
- Compiled from the lecture notes of Prof. Selahattin Önür (Arch 121) and Aydan Balamir
(Arch 111) and edited by Esin Kömez.
• Arnheim, Rudolf, Art and Visual Perception: A Psychology of the Creative Eye, 1954.
• Kepes, György, Language of Vision, 1944.
• Snyder, J. C. and A. J. Catanese (eds.), Introduction to Architecture, 1979..
• Gestalt Principles: How Are Your Designs Perceived?
http://vanseodesign.com/web-design/gestalt-principles-of-perception/
• The designer's guide to Gestalt Theory:
http://www.creativebloq.com/graphic-design/gestalt-theory-10134960
Assignment-2: Read Matthew Frederick’s 101 Things I Learned in

Architecture School and write an explanation of the third item into your
logbooks by using your own words and adding relevant visual materials.
Arch 111 / 2020-21

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Arch 111 Introduction to Architectural Concepts

Fall Semester 2020-21

Week 2b. Gestalt Principles in Visual Design

Gestalt pyschology explores how and what we perceive as

Studies in Gestalt psychology go back to 1910, in the works of a

Wertheimer, in a paper titled “Theory of Form” (1923), concluded

In the 1920s, the group developed theories of visual perception,

describing how a coherent whole is perceived when its elements

shape; can be interpreted also as pattern or configuration.

Whole is more than the sum of its parts.

According to Gestalt school of psychology, perception is wholistic

1. Proximity 7. Center of Gravity

Proximity: Objects in close proximity are

dispersed vs. grouped

Proximity, i.e close arrangement of

Visual experience develops by perceiving contrasts and similarities

Similarity of shapes and motion: Similarity of shape and size.

The recurrence of an action

In architecture, rhythm is present

designed in such way that they

Car Park, Allies & Morrison

Orderly and random repetition.

Swiss pianist Silvan Zingg on piano, Nuno Alexandre on bass and

If things are aligned in a straight or curvilinear manner, they are

Continuity achieved by:

- similarity of shape and color, contrast of

- similarity of shape and size, contrast of

We perceive objects such as shapes, letters, pictures, etc., as

The human eye wants to see

We have a tendency to see the

words on a printed paper as the "figure"

The objects are

Cases where the figure and

M. C. Escher, Sky and Water (woodblock) 1938.

Fish as ﬁgure transforms gradually into bird as ﬁgure, with alterna`ng

René Magritte, surrealist painter

St. Mark's Square, Venice

SarphaSstraat Oﬃces, Steven Holl, Amsterdam, 2000

Relatedness in shape and position with

SKil Life, Giorgio Morandi (1890-1964)

Composi`ons of humble household objects

dominant location, shape and size, often with elements of

Gunnar Asplund Mario Botta

Siena Cathedral (Duomo)

Elements that are parallel

The law of common fate states

In visual perception we tend to simplify what we see. The most easily

The shape on the left is complex. We tend to see it as a combination of

A fundamental principle of Gestalt perception is Prägnanz (in English,

We tend to order our experience in a manner that is regular, orderly,

simplicity vs. complexity

Tendency toward the

Oscar Niemeyer, Brasilia

Frank Gehry, Walt Disney Concert Hall

Coop Himmel(b)lau, Penthouse, Vienna Daniel Libeskind, Ontario Museum

grandeur of pure geometric forms

Minoru Yamasaki (with Emery Roth)

simple vs. ordinary

Over-simplification to the level

Minoru Yamasaki, Pruitt-Igoe housing St. Louis, Missouri 1952-56

"LESS IS MORE" –Mies van der Rohe

"LESS IS BORE" –Robert Venturi

à More on this LATER, in the coming weeks!

Mona Lisa (La Jaconde)