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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National

Mathematical shapes in action

Architecture: The Chandigarh Legislative Assembly building designed by Le Corbusier
The Chandigarh Legislative Assembly building in India. French architect Le Corbusier used, you've guessed it, Fibonacci numbers to create interesting geometry Photograph: John Macdougall/AFP
Architecture: Aerial view of GCHQ building in Cheltenham.
The GCHQ building in Cheltenham. The afore-mentioned torus Photograph: Google Earth
Architecture: Aerial view of the Villa Rotonda by Andrea Pallidio
The Villa Rotonda, Vicenza, Italy, designed by Andrea Palladio. The proportions perfect whole number ratios like harmonics, giving rise to the phrase 'frozen music' Photograph: Yann Arthus-Bertrand/Corbis
Architecture: City Hall, GLA building, headquarters for the Greater London Assembly
City Hall, headquarters of the Greater London Assembly. Not just a favourite hangout of Boris Johnson, but also a distorted sphere
Photograph: David Sillitoe
Architecture: Grande Arche
Grande Arche de la Defense in Paris. Shadow of a 4D cube Photograph: Frans Lemmens/Getty Images
Architecture: Steel tiles covering La Geode cinema, France
La Geode in Paris. A huge silver sphere Photograph: Lehtikuva OY/Rex Features
Architecture: The Grand National at Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Would you be more or less scared if you knew the Grand National rollercoaster at Pleasure Beach in Blackpool was a möbius strip? Photograph: PR
Architecture: The Guggenheim's Bilbao Museum, Frank Gehry's abstract masterpiece, Spain
The Frank Gehry Guggenheim museum in Bilbao. An example of Riemanian geometry Photograph: Kenneth Garrett/National Geographic/Getty Images
Architecture: The Parthenon Temple Athens Greece
The Parthenon in Athens uses the golden ratio. To stunning effect Photograph: Louisa Gouliamaki/EPA
Architecture: The Sage Music centre in Gateshead
The Sage Music centre in Gateshead is made from 27 pieces of a torus Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA
Architecture: The pyramids of Giza, Egypt
Favourite shape anyone? Egypt: pyramid Photograph: Khaled El-Fiqi/EPA
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