Like the seashells that Calatrava carries with him on his travels, The Chicago Spire is a breathtakingly simple expression of complex ideas. In the dynamic, soaring tower lies the fundamental repetition of nature, a sculptural triumph of mathematics and art. As a practitioner of both, Santiago Calatrava, like many inquisitors before him, has been influenced by the significant discoveries of a Florentine mathematician some 800 years ago.
"THE PRINCIPLES I FOLLOW ARE BASED ON REPETITION. THIS REMINDS YOU OF NATURE BECAUSE NATURE OFTEN WORKS IN PATTERNS" Santiago Calatrava
Leonardo of Pisa, better known as Fibonacci, uncovered a link that would merge the studies of mathematics, nature and art. The discovery began with a simple study of rabbit reproduction and led to the uncovering of a sequence of numbers, now known as the Fibonacci series, that would later be found at work throughout nature.
As the Fibonacci numbers increase, the proportion of two successive numbers becomes more and more similar. The ratio approaches but never reaches an infinite decimal beginning with the numbers 1.618. This ratio is known as the Golden Mean and has been understood since at least the Pythagorean School in 500BC, when the Greeks created a golden rectangle they believed to hold the mathematical key to beauty.
"IF YOU DISCUSS PROPORTION, RHYTHM, AND NATURE, YOU ARE ALMOST USING MUSICAL TERMS." Santiago Calatrava
The Golden Mean brings together two of Santiago Calatrava's most profound influences: nature and the work of Swiss architect Le Corbusier. Le Corbusier's faith in the mathematical order of the universe was closely bound to the golden ratio and the Fibonacci series, and led him to create his own scale of proportions for use in his designs.
For Calatrava and Le Corbusier, the natural dynamics of growth governed by Fibonacci offer both intrigue and guidance. In botany, Fibonacci can be found at work in the structure of flowers. In biology, it guides the spiralling growth of the nautilus shell - this primitive, yet beautiful creature is one of Calatrava's key inspirations behind his designs for The Chicago Spire.
"THE SHAPE REPRESENTS THE ELEMENTS, THE IDEA OF FLUIDITY AND GROWTH, THE BEAUTY AND PERFECTION OF THE GEOMETRICAL FORCE." Santiago Calatrava
Look at the beautiful spiral that emerges from a cross-section of the nautilus, and you see a reflection of the gentle spiral that carries The Chicago Spire up to 2,000 ft. Here on the shores of Lake Michigan, the gentle turns of the design carry the building through 360 degrees, catching the ever-changing light as it reflects the deep blue of the lake and the shimmering palette of the city.
For this is a building that could hardly be conceived anywhere else. Building on the city's significant architectural legacy, The Chicago Spire responds to the horizontal gesture of the lake and the ribbon of the Chicago River. By day, the building will absorb the light of the sparkling waters and give it back to the city in gentle ripples. By night, The Chicago Spire will add its own glow to what Calatrava describes as the city's 'truly moving' skyline.