Design

Since antiquity, the design of buildings has been based upon square or round shaped plans. Architecturally, the square represents stability and, according to Western tradition as with the chiostro, an ideal of perfected space on earth, as opposed to the circle, which symbolizes eternal time and the heavens. The square is the fundamental element and the minimum value, the utmost indivisible shape. However, its wholeness is also spiritual: in Hindu temples, the square expresses celestial harmony.

Exactitude, clarity and lucidity of intention are all expressed in the simple, rational, balanced design of the square. As in many ancient instances of religious architecture, it is an allegory of man as a microcosm. The square is a paradigm for design: it stands for the ambition to achieve an internal balance while remaining in touch with natural energies. Design means maintaining a productive interaction with our surroundings. It is a way of creating by being receptive to how we feel the world, and to imagine new ways to feel and live with the curiosity to understand how the world feels us.