Architecture of Hindu Temples and Parametric Form Generation in Contemporary Architecture

Kirti Trivedi Distinct visual characteristics of Hindu temples Form results from following mathematical procedures Overall Jaggedness Jaggedness extending through the whole body of the temple Surface-filling density of details Complexity through recursive procedures Self-similarity Shapes contain smaller replicas of themselves The Form is a Symbolic representation of a Philosophy The Universe is Self-Similar and Holonomic Om, That is the Whole This is the Whole From Wholeness emerges Wholeness Wholeness coming from Wholeness Wholeness still remains Whatever is here, that is there, What is there, the same is here. Kathopanishad 4.10 Antaryami Aham Brahmasmi

The Pinda-Brahmanda concept of Microcosm-Macrocosm correspondence The Phenomenon of Expanding Form There is nothing static, nothing abiding, but only a flow of a relentless process, with everything originating, growing, decaying, vanishing. This is one of the fundamental conceptions of this wholly dynamic view of life, of the individual and the cosmos. Stella Kramrisch

The Duality of Unity

The Cosmic Phenomena evolves out of the Union of Two opposite and complimentary principles Purusha Prakriti Male Female Passive Active Matter Energy Gross Subtle Right Left Evolution of : a Sacred diagram Temple as the Cosmic Egg: Brahmanda The temple can be represented at many levels of evolution Fractal Geometry Clouds are not spheres, mountains are not cones, coastlines are not circles and barks are not smooth, nor does lightning travel in a straight line.

Benoit Mandelbrot Morphology of the ‘Amorphous’

The many patterns of nature are so irregular and fragmented, that, compared to Euclid – nature exhibits not simply a higher degree, but an altogether different level of complexity.

Invariance under Scaling Self-similarity Recursive Procedures Space-filling

Form generation through fractal processes The form unfolds in time Tending to fill the whole space given enough iterations

Complexity and growth as a result of geometrical algorithms Visual complexity the result of algorithms 3 Dimensional Fractal landscapes Temple Town of Palitana, Gujarat, India

Plan of Keshava Temple, Somnathpur Keshava Temple, Somnathpur Temple plan based on a structural diagram From Simple to Complex Growing Complexity in plans Water reservoir, Sun Temple, Modhera Fractal development of motifs Increasing number of self-similar projections in various types of Shikharas The Symbolism of the Circle and the Square The Circle is All Vastu is to be like Earth Yatha mahi tatha Vastu Depicting a Circle using Square

The basic assumption in making temples as models of the cosmos

In traditional Indian practice a circle is derived through successive faceting of a square Various approaches to creating circularity Manifestations of this World-view in Asian Temple Architecture

Borobudur, Indonesia

Borobudur, Indonesia Shwedagon Stupa, Myanmar Angkor Wat, Cambodia Angkor Wat, Cambodia Fractal Architecture as a New Discipline Recent renderings of architecture-like forms through fractal procedures Recent renderings of architecture-like forms through fractal procedures Actual temples built centuries ago Recent renderings of architecture-like forms through fractal procedures Actual temples built centuries ago

Recent renderings of architecture-like forms through fractal procedures Renderings looking like architectural forms Architectural Visualizations by Tom Beddard

Ornamented columns by Michael Hansmeyer Columns in Ranakpur temple, Rajasthan, 15th Century AD

Ceiling from Ranakpur Temple, Rajasthan, 15th Century AD

Ceiling from Vimala Vasahi, Dilwada temple, Mt Abu, 13th Century AD

Lideta Mercato, Addis Ababa by XavierVilalta Orient Station, Lisbon

Sky Habitat by Moshe Safdie Going back in time to see the future Fractal Architecture of Hindu Temples

Architectural creation using algorithms of the cosmic construction, following the laws of Vishwa-karma: the Maker of the Universe