Unity and Variety in Architecture: Investigation from Elements to Compositions in Aesthetic Preferences

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Publicat a:Buildings vol. 15, no. 24 (2025), p. 4557-4586
Autor principal: Chen, Shaokang
Altres autors: Hu, Yanfeng, Wang, Yimin, Chen, Yile, Whitfield, Allan, Suhaimi, Safia Najwa, Zahari Zuriawati Ahmad
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MDPI AG
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024 7 |a 10.3390/buildings15244557  |2 doi 
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045 2 |b d20251215  |b d20251231 
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100 1 |a Chen, Shaokang  |u School of the Arts, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor 11800, Penang, Malaysia; chenshaokang@student.usm.my 
245 1 |a Unity and Variety in Architecture: Investigation from Elements to Compositions in Aesthetic Preferences 
260 |b MDPI AG  |c 2025 
513 |a Journal Article 
520 3 |a Beyond utilitarian purpose, architecture possesses profound aesthetic value, serving not only as structures to inhabit but as spaces to be perceived, interpreted, and appreciated. Unity and variety are among the predictors that influence aesthetics, traditionally viewed as oppositional but jointly predictive of aesthetic preference. The present research investigates how unity and variety jointly predict aesthetic preference in the domain of Chinese carved windows and how these relationships change from isolated elements to window–background compositions. Two quasi-experimental studies were conducted. Study 1 asked participants to rate ten digitally rendered Chinese windows on unity, variety, and aesthetic preference. Study 2 used the same ten windows embedded in either a stylistically congruent Chinese background or an incongruent Western background. Across both studies (N = 797), results showed that unity and variety were negatively correlated yet both positively associated with aesthetic preference, with unity exerting the stronger predictive influence. The trade-off between unity and variety decreased once windows were placed in backgrounds, and stylistically incongruent Western backgrounds reliably suppressed perceived unity and inflated perceived variety. The findings are consistent with the Unity-in-Variety principle and highlight how architectural context influences unity–variety judgments. The studies provide strategies toward a more nuanced, architecture-specific understanding of unity and variety in aesthetic preference. 
653 |a Preferences 
653 |a Design 
653 |a Architecture 
653 |a Perceptions 
653 |a Unity 
653 |a Composition 
653 |a Aesthetics 
653 |a Windows (computer programs) 
700 1 |a Hu, Yanfeng  |u Faculty of Design and Architecture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia; huyanfeng1996@gmail.com 
700 1 |a Wang, Yimin  |u Faculty of Humanities and Arts, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Tapai, Macau 999078, China; 3240000641@student.must.edu.mo (Y.W.); chenyile@must.edu.mo (Y.C.) 
700 1 |a Chen, Yile  |u Faculty of Humanities and Arts, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Tapai, Macau 999078, China; 3240000641@student.must.edu.mo (Y.W.); chenyile@must.edu.mo (Y.C.) 
700 1 |a Whitfield, Allan  |u College of Design and Innovation, Tongji University, No. 281 Fuxin Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai 200092, China; ifitbeinthedusk@gmail.com 
700 1 |a Suhaimi, Safia Najwa  |u PDR-International Centre for Design and Research, Cardiff Metropolitan University, 200 Western Ave., Cardiff CF5 2YB, UK; ssuhaimi@pdr-design.com 
700 1 |a Zahari Zuriawati Ahmad  |u School of the Arts, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor 11800, Penang, Malaysia; chenshaokang@student.usm.my 
773 0 |t Buildings  |g vol. 15, no. 24 (2025), p. 4557-4586 
786 0 |d ProQuest  |t Engineering Database 
856 4 1 |3 Citation/Abstract  |u https://www.proquest.com/docview/3286267664/abstract/embedded/7BTGNMKEMPT1V9Z2?source=fedsrch 
856 4 0 |3 Full Text + Graphics  |u https://www.proquest.com/docview/3286267664/fulltextwithgraphics/embedded/7BTGNMKEMPT1V9Z2?source=fedsrch 
856 4 0 |3 Full Text - PDF  |u https://www.proquest.com/docview/3286267664/fulltextPDF/embedded/7BTGNMKEMPT1V9Z2?source=fedsrch