Do Architects Design for Looking Up?

This shot was taken during a recent trip to NYC somewhere around 57th Street and 3rd Avenue…to be honest we were running to a dinner date, and I can’t remember where we were. We cut through this breezeway and stopped because we were blown away by the architecture.

My question is: Did the architect provide this view on purpose?

We spend so much of our time looking ahead because that is how our eyes are placed on our heads – it is only natural to look forward.

But how does this phenomenon play into a designer’s intent? Urban design is as much about the form and the function of any space or building and view corridors can be the bone of contention in many discussions and heated debates. There is a process to determine a ‘horizontal’ view and not so much the ‘vertical’ view.

Street views and distant views are major players in architecture, but what about looking up? Do designers of buildings consider the “up” factor or is this just happenchance?