Character of buildings
2.
I chose the theme of character as concept for my book “livre d’architecture”. I decided to take this concept because the author Germain Boffrand was one of the first to make the connection between architecture and character and wrote it down.
“Livre d’architecture” is a book written by Germain Boffrand for the king. The hole book consist out of two parts, while the first part is about his ideas and knowledge on architecture in the format of text, is the second part more about examples and self promotion of his designs. In the second part of the book isn’t much text anymore, but a lot of illustrations, which do not have dimensions. It was more about showing and explaining the idea of character in building and not about being a construction manual. Throughout the hole book the text is divided into two columns. These two columns are written down in different languages and different fonts. The left columns are written in French, while the right columns in Latin. I also noticed that there are a lot of blank pages and also expandable pages in the book, which was quit interesting and unusual.
The origins of the first part of the book are attached to deliberations of the Académie Royale d’Architecture, in which Germain Boffrand participated. Within this part he wrote about his principles of architecture, but most importantly he introduced the theme of character into the French architecture debate. In his opinion should the sign language of the house from outside and from inside reflect the character of the building, as well as it should reflect the rank of the residents or the way they use this building. With this idea of character he introduced a hole new chapter in the history of architecture. But not only did he provided with his book the basis for the central ideas of revolutionary architecture, he also unknowingly touches on a topic that he couldn’t imagine yet: The architectural sign language of a megalomaniac French dictator.
Unlike the first part of the book, which is about expressing his own ideas on architecture, the second part of the book his about his own architectural designs and only has very little text, but is dominated by illustrations. Therefore stands the book midway between a general statement on architectural principles and design, as the character, and the publication of a single architect’s work.
3.
Character of buildings
revolutionary architecture
reflection of buildings