(Montréal, QC) Pictured on your left is an image taken from just north of the Place d'Armes in Vieux-Montréal. I was struck by the geometric near-perfection of the way the buildings seemed to seamlessly descend as they approached the Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal, which can be seen in the lower right hand corner of the image.Given the fact that these buildings were constructed in different eras, it is doubtful that there was much in the way of planning involved in this view. More likely this is an eye-appealing coincidence that only geeks like me would notice, people fascinated with symmetry in nature and human attempts to reshape the natural world. There does not yet exist an architectural equivalent to the stretch marks creams that produce aesthetically appealing results, so we have to find visually stunning vistas where we can.
I have yet to capture in an image my favorite piece of architectural symmetry, which is an old church in Detroit that - when approached by southbound Interstate 75 near Interstate 94 - stands just below the Renaissance Center in the view toward downtown. The effect is intriguing, as the church appears to be a miniature shadow of the RenCen.
Someday.
