O Sentido Clássico da Geometria na Obra de David Chipperfield

Abstract

"Let [the perfect artist] be educated, skilful with the pencil, instructed in geometry, know much history, have followed the philosophers with attention, understand music, have some knowledge of medicine, know the opinions of the jurists, and be acquainted with astronomy and the theory of the heavens." 1 1 Vitruvius. The Ten Books on Architecture. Londres: Harvard University Press, 1914. Livro I. Cap. I. 5. Between the precision of a straight line and the lightness of an idea, this dissertation explores the importance of drawing and geometry in contemporary architecture, in light of the work of an architect with classical values - David Chipperfield. His work is built on a grammar where geometry asserts itself as the matrix and mediator. More than a simple drawing tool, geometry in his work is a structuring thought - an alphabet capable of organising space, establishing proportions and giving coherence to an architectural discourse based on permanence and continuity of time. This study aims to understand how this language, inherited from the classical tradition, reinvents itself in contemporary practice without losing its timeless calling and permanent nature. Thus, this research articulates two complementary strands: a theoretical reflection on the concepts of Geometry and Classicism and a practical analysis of three works by David Chipperfield Architects. The analysis of these works, interpreted in the light of three pairs of concepts -Sequence and Proportion, Transparency and Solidity, Floor and Wall - reveals how geometry, as a conceptual and compositional matrix, can organise form and function, while shaping spatial experience and balancing technical rigour and creative freedom, articulating itself with the triad defended by the architect: Space, Natural Light and Material. Throughout this analysis, it is recognised that Chipperfield's architecture operates in a space of synthesis, between past and present, theory and practice, logic and emotion. Starting from an architecture that resists the media hype of spectacle, geometry - as the universal language of architecture - allows us to design relevant responses to contemporary needs, in a language that integrates tradition, innovation, and technology without compromising the essence of the act of designing. In this way, it is reaffirmed that, even today, geometry remains a link between abstraction and materiality, between idea and built space. However, the reflection proposed here goes beyond a case study of a particular author. In a context marked by the speed of information, technological advancement and constant cultural change, this research highlights the relevance of classical geometric devices - such as proportion, module, symmetry, order and centrality - as a timeless and permanent language of architecture, contributing to an analysis that echoes beyond this dissertation.