If the photographer take the picture from a lower angle, such as from the ground, then the buildings will look bigger. Adding certain things such as humans or cars in the picture can also put into perspective how big the building is.
To me, the golden spiral is the proportional basis that makes the most sense. In a landscape painting the views eye is automatically directed to the center of the spiral and can be used by the artist to put their subject in the eye of the viewer.
The orthogonal lines in the work merge at the vanishing point. In a perspective drawing, the artist uses parallel diagonal lines which meet and diminish to a vanishing point. These lines are called orthogonal and create the perspective and a more realistic view. The vanishing point offers the painting a three-dimensional look.
