The Mathematics of Beauty

Golden ratios & sacred geometry

The Ancient of Days setting a Compass to the Earth, William Blake (1794)

The secret weapon of any good cathedral architect is mathematics. Math is what guides the shape and placement of walls, columns, and buttresses, and what allows stone walls to leap to new heights. 

But even more importantly, math imbues the sacred place with a sense of awe and wonder that transcends stone and wood. Mathematical harmony touches us with a sense of otherworldly calm, creating a connection between architectural design and divine inspiration.

Medieval stonemasons, fueled by passion and creativity, used sacred geometry passed down from the classical world and took it further than ever before.

Here’s how cathedrals incarnate this ancient tradition of spiritual architecture, and how it continues to define beautiful spaces today…