One Fish, Two Fish, Flying Buttress, Blue Fish (Part I)

Om nom nom

When most people think of fish, they think of dinner. When architects think of fish they think of one of nature's most beautiful gifts to mankind. The slippery little animals have given them more ideas about form, structure, and movement than any other animal on earth. True, few architects intend for their work to actually look like a fish (unless you're Frank Gehry, but we'll get to him), but many of its basic tendencies can be found in almost all modern architecture.

Let's take a better look at our new best friends. The influence of fish on architecture can be broken into two categories: form and structure. Like any good building, a fish's outside provides beauty, protection, and movement, and it's internal structure gives it strength and efficiency.

Hey, sexy

This is a cod. While it makes for a delicious taco, we will concern ourselves more with it's outside. The cod is a good example of a basic fish shape. Like most fish, it's longer than it is tall and taller than it is wide, has a generally symmetrical shape that curves inward at first, then gradually back out to form the tail. You'll find a similar shape everywhere from leaves to airfoils. Its gentle but defined curves are pleasing to look and allows it to slip easily through the water. These basic principles are applied directly to some of the most beautiful and ingenious modern buildings. 

The obvious place to start is Gehry's fish. The fact that one of the most influential architects of the late 20th and early 21st century lends some weight to the importance of the fish. Its shape can be seen in much of his work, from furniture to concert halls. This, however, is his most famous fish. It sits atop a building in Barcelona and is perhaps the most iconic example of the shape's simple but powerful beauty. Gehry also uses the idea of scales in many of his buildings, another point for the fish.

But Gehry is not the first to obsess over our underwater muse, and he will certainly not be the last. The list of all the world's fish buildings could go on for days, so we'll focus on a few exceptional examples. While they are a lot less literal than the one above, their fishiness should be apparent if you keep the basic shape in mind.

This one happens to be a fish market

Zaha Hadid's Plan for the Performing Arts Center in Abu Dhabi. Am I the only one who thinks beached whale?

Here is one from my sketchbook.

You must surely be craving this by now

Stay tuned for part II, in which we'll talk about the inside of the fish and how it has shaped the inside of buildings