Abstract
The visual complexity is one of the most polemic problems on townscape. This paper takes into consideration the psychological experiment on the visual complexity of the urban skyline and analyzes correlation of visual complexity with mathematical complexity. METHODOLOGY Stimulus materials : eight urban skyline models. Estimation category : complexity. Estimation method : Two methods were employed. One is the method of pair comparisons and the subjects are 72. The other is the method of rearrangement and the subjects are 103. PROCEDURE The method of pair comparisons : The subjects are required to judge which of a pair of skyline slides is complexity. The method of rearrangement : The subjects are required to rearrange eight skyline models in order of complexity. ANALYSIS Dual scaling, fractal theory and information theory were employed. RESULTS The following results were obtained : The structure of visual complexity estimation has a hierarchy of two solutions : solution 1 and solution 2. Solution 1 : main factor, general factor, geometric relative unevenness and geometric-technical perception. Solution 2 : secondary factor, bipolor factor, Texture and physiognomic perception.
