Hexagons in nature

The street called “Passeig de Gracia” in Barcelona is partially paved with hexagonal tiles designed by Gaudí, and they have become so famous that are even exhibited at the MoMa in NY as the first example of industrial design. One of Gaudí’s most famous phrases was “to be original is to return to the origins”. He returned to the origins, to nature, and was inspired by the bee hive to design the hexagonal tiles. Some wasp species also make hexagonal hives, but from cellulose instead of wax. And if we look closely we will find hexagons in the most unexpected places, such as the shell of a turtle, in some corals, in the composed eyes of insects, in the spots of the giraffe or in the pineapple. Why is hexagon so present in nature? Because apart from 6 sides, it also has 6 angles of 120º that give it a lot of stability and resistance. It is an ideal geometric shape for paving flat surfaces.