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The Square in Architecture and Culture

The square shape dominates our buildings and everyday spaces. Why do we live in square boxes? And why is the boxing ring called a "ring" if it is square?


Why Do We Live in Boxes? The Square in Architecture

There is a whole debate about this: why is so much of our architecture square? The most common answers point to three main reasons:

Why architects love the square:

Critics say: "everything square looks like the mind that created it." It may not be the only way to build. Gaudí, one of history's greatest architects, chose to copy nature instead — he believed nature was the most rational, durable and economical building method of all.

Satire of architecture by Quino

"ARCHITECTURE" by Quino


The Boxing Ring Is Square

The word "ring" means a circular shape. So why is a boxing ring square if it comes from the word "ring"?

In the early days of boxing there was no square platform. In Ireland, people formed a human circle (a "ring") around the fighters to watch. Later, fighters started marking a square on the ground with chalk.

Origins of the boxing ring

Over time the raised square platform was built and adopted for boxing, wrestling and MMA. But the word "ring" stuck — even though the shape is a square, or sometimes even a hexagon.

The word ring (circle) survived even though the original circular shape became a square. The name stayed by tradition, not by geometry.
The modern boxing ring

More About the Square

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