# Please explain the architectural term "floating cloud effect"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-architectural-term-floating-cloud-effect/744094>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 24, 2016, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-architectural-term-floating-cloud-effect/744094 "2016-01-24T18:38:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-architectural-term-floating-cloud-effect/744094/1 "2016-01-24T18:38:56Z")

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Hi  
When reading about the Sydney Opera House I keep coming across the term “floating cloud effect” but cannot find any definition of it. What does it actually look like? I’d appreciate some links to pictures. I look forward to your feedback.

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**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-architectural-term-floating-cloud-effect/744094/2 "2016-01-25T08:17:52Z")

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> **[Sydney Opera House to take on Chinese hues](http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2009-04/22/content_7702054.htm)**
>
> World news channel covers Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Europe, America and Africa. Chinadaily.com.cn is the largest English portal in China, providing news, business information, BBS, learning materials. The Website has channels as China, BizChina,...

> [@](#):
>
> […] very few people know Chinese design principles were its inspiration. […]
> 
> These include the “floating effect” used for buildings in the Forbidden City and set-piece construction promoted in a 1,000-year-old Chinese building manual.  
> […]  
> Forbidden City architecture used a floating-cloud effect that also influenced Utzon’s final design of the famous white-shell exterior, which appears to float like a cloud above Sydney Harbour.

From this text and the night time pic of the Opera house included in the article it appears to reference design choices that make the upper part of of the building seem in some small way to be free floating.

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**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-architectural-term-floating-cloud-effect/744094/3 "2016-01-25T11:14:07Z")

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> [@naita](#):
>
> [Sydney Opera House to take on Chinese hues](http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2009-04/22/content_7702054.htm)
> 
> From this text and the night time pic of the Opera house included in the article it appears to reference design choices that make the upper part of of the building seem in some small way to be free floating.

Thanks Naita. It’s strange that there doesn’t seem to be a proper definition of the phrase “floating cloud effect”, even though it’s used quite frequently.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-architectural-term-floating-cloud-effect/744094/4 "2016-01-25T18:20:44Z")

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If you look at the building, I think it’s possible to divine the meaning of the term. The white shells are larger at the top than the bottom, and the supports connecting them with the ground are narrow and inconspicuous. It looks like it isn’t supported.

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**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2016, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-architectural-term-floating-cloud-effect/744094/5 "2016-01-26T00:20:40Z")

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> [@Mangetout](#):
>
> If you look at the building, I think it’s possible to divine the meaning of the term. The white shells are larger at the top than the bottom, and the supports connecting them with the ground are narrow and inconspicuous. It looks like it isn’t supported.

Thanks Mangetout. You nailed it!