Rhythm/Movement

Definition: Rhythm and movement are closely linked. Rhythm is achieved when the elements of a design are repeated to achieve a sense of movement. Movement is when the use of elements direct the eye and/or the body. A sense of movement is often achieved with the arrangement of color and form.

Government Building at Piazza Navona in Rome, Italy.

Rhythm was very important during the Renaissance in Italy. The architecture of that period interpreted the typical classical rhythm of Doric, Ionic, then Corinthian. In the image above at Piazza Navona you can see how this idea of progression in three counts was applied to the three main levels. The first level is taller in height and more rustic in its surface application and stonework. The second and third levels are progressively smaller and lighter. In this way a vertical and horizontal rhythm is established on the facade. The implied movement through drawing the eye of the viewer is also very vertical - horizontal based. Geometry was very important during the Renaissance and much of the architecture of that period was based on some very simplistic forms.

Bledsoe Hall at TTU in Lubbock, Texas.

Bledsoe Hall references this progression as well. You can clearly see the three levels and the difference in type and scale in the fenestration from the first level till the third level. Again, this linear and largely symmetrical facade establishes both a vertical and horizontal rhythm.

Fenestration Detail, typical rhythm found in Renaissance architecture in Rome, Italy.

Typical Fenestration Study in Graphite at Piazza di Fiori in Rome, Italy 6/10/15