Asymmetry in Architecture

Asymmetry creates unpredictability and unpredictability creates interest.

yash choudhary
2 min readFeb 28, 2022

There are two principles -> symmetry and asymmetry.

In the past and still at most places, people prefer symmetry in all things including architecture and design. Because symmetry is compelling to the eyes and brain and it creates balance which we will talk about later on.

But now, in the modern era, Asymmetry is getting popular as it gets your attention and, well, its different than the rest. Asymmetry can be used to convey dynamism or movement or flow in the design or structure.

Frank Gehry is one of the most popular architects who applies asymmetry to most of his buildings. His results? They are astounding, go have a look (and he’s 93).

For creating such structures and designs, you have to have an eye for the purpose and a unique ideology behind your decisions. One of the important things to keep in mind is that you will make mistakes and don’t be afraid of making iterations and have patience.

Photo: Getty Images

Fondation Louis Vuitton (2014) by Frank Gehry (Paris)

And yes, using asymmetry can be a hard job to do mostly when it comes to creating buildings and taking care of the structure, budget, construction and much more. But the result, if you work hard enough, will be remarkable.

A Great example of making the impossible.

Capital Gate of Abu Dhabi

Image: http://faculty.arch.tamu.edu/
Image: http://faculty.arch.tamu.edu/

What do you need to know about asymmetry?

  • Balance is still an important part of creating asymmetrical designs. Without balance the design will look messy and instead of being attractive, it will be a design failure.
  • Asymmetry may not be used at all in the exterior, but can be made good use of in the interiors.
  • There are not any defined principles in it, so you are free to make anything that your eyes seek.
  • PRACTICE. It will help you to understand what works and what doesn’t.

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