Author:
Gerrit van de Ende Pieter Huybers
SUMMARY Although we do not always realise this, the shape of most of the visible world around us is to a great extent governed by the geometry of polyhedra. A polyhedron is a shape that is covered by many (poly) flat faces ( hedra). Even curved surfaces can often be considered as a three-drmensional tiling of rnfrnrtesimally small plane faces. If we use in this context the term ?polyhedron? we are generally referring to the so-called Platonic and Archimedean solids, which are convex bodies that are covered by a closed pattern of regular polygons. They have a form that is so perfect, that they exert a great attraction to both artists and technicians. Also in architecture they have been applied in many ways and they form the geometric basis of most buildings and structures This paper deals specifically with the architectural use of these forms and with their influence on our man-made environment. They can either define the overall shape of the building structure or its internal confrguratron