The 50 most beautiful buildings in the world according to science and the 'golden ratio' and St Paul's Cathedral takes No 1 spot, ahead of The White House in 17th place
Using the golden ratio as a guide, the researchers drew up a top 50 beautiful buildings ranking
By TED THORNHILL, MAILONLINE TRAVEL EDITOR
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder.But science has another take on this, that what's pleasing on the eye follows the 'golden ratio' – and researchers say that according to this theory, Sir Christopher Wren's St Paul's Cathedral in London is the most beautiful building in the world, because it adheres most closely to this formula, by an alignment of 72.28 per cent to be exact.
Using the golden ratio as a guide, the researchers drew up a top 50 beautiful buildings ranking, in which Marina Bay Sands resort in Singapore is second (70.88 per cent) after Wren's masterpiece, Westminster Abbey in London third (70.50 per cent), Osaka Castle in Japan fourth (70.38 per cent) and St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow is fifth (69.10 per cent).
St. Paul's Cathedral
St. Paul's Cathedral with some of the measurements
Marina Bay Sands resort in Singapore is the second most beautiful building in the world, according to a study. It has a 70.88 per cent alignment to the golden ratio.
The third most beautiful building in the world is Westminster Abbey, according to golden ratio number-crunching.
The golden ratio is a ratio of 1:1.618.
The fourth most beautiful building in the world - Osaka Castle in Japan. It aligns to the golden ratio by 70.38 per cent.
St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow is fifth in the beautiful building ranking, with a golden ratio alignment of 69.10 per cent
Behold the sixth most beautiful building in the world - Casa Mila in Barcleona
The White House is the 17th most beautiful building in the world if the golden ratio is what counts, according to research
The golden has ratio long been used as a barometer of beauty and numerically is a ratio of 1:1.618. So a building that aligns with it would contain shapes and structures that have a relationship with each other in this ratio.
For reasons that can't really be explained, humans find objects that unfold with this ratio of expansion inherently beautiful.
Read more about the world's 50 most beautiful buildings