195vite people to assemble by means of the expressive force of
the central structural and spatial form, thereby imposing on
it an inappropriate emblem more characteristic of an imperial
monument. Through the Prägnanz of a design, however, ar-
chitectural and spatial forms may also display an open-ended
significance, thereby possessing a semantic > capacity that
enables them to embrace changing meanings.There is no guarantee that architecture becomes more human
when the dimensions of the human body become its > meas-
ure. Certainly, measure plays a role in spatial experience – not
solely through objectively quantifiable measurement, but also
through its interaction with other conditions of perception
and movement and with subjective attitudes. As the bases of
> order and > composition, measure is also significant for in-
tellectual intelligibility.
Ordered systems of measure, such as Le Corbusier’s
Modulor, assume that attentiveness in the design process to
the dimensions of the human body, its range of movement,
the length of a step, make it possible to relate oneself, in the
context of spatial experience of the situation, to the consist-
ent proportions of a building. In fact, the dimensions of the
human body play a role for many movements and the per-
formance of many actions. The height of the head is decisive
for ceilings and door lintels, the height of the eyes for lines of
sight, and the provision of view protection. The accessibility
of a door handle or the height of the step required to climb a
set of stairs is related to the dimensions and the reach of the
limbs. A visual angle with an aperture dimension of approxi-
mately 60° determines the visual field. Its opening angle in
height – about 27°, according to Hermann Maertens (1877)
has consequences for the effects of > enclosedness of spaces
and public squares. The approximate space requirement for
certain activities can also be determined dimensionally. Even
our relationships with other people and with our social envi-Measure