#20-712-022 #10
My chat with the old books in the xenotheka started after I simply searched for “doors” in the topic of conversation architecture. The very first quote Alice replied with was the following: All else arches, pedestals, attics, even doors and windows are by definition extraneous. Then Mallgrave, Modern Architectural Theory started to give a bit more context to this statement. It told me that columns, entablature and gabled roof were the three essential elements of architecture. A bit later it backed down and admitted that walls and doors do have a certain necessity, which surely was a relief for my old friend “Architectura de postium seu portalium ornatu vario”, which is all about beautiful doors and portals.
Funny enough, Alice replied to me again with Mallgrave, Modern Architectural Theory when I was asking her about “portals”. But since I already got to know it, I continued exploring Alices suggestions. The next quote that caught my eye was the following: The five portals have tenailles in front, similar to the fortified cities like those of Vauban, in Payne, Renaissance and Baroque Architecture. Not knowing what a Vauban might be I asked Alice to further explain it to me. I learned that Sebastien LePrestre de Vauban was a military engineer who even worked for the sunking Louis XIV. Knowing, that “Architectura de postium seu portalium ornatu vario” also had some fortified portals and doors in its range, I was sure the two would have something to discuss when I present them to each other. However, I was wondering what else Payne had to tell me about portals and was surely a bit surprised when I read this: Entrance portals were rusticated like fortifications to represent and fortify virginity and to produce the convent as a bulwark against evil for the city. (This was also from Renaissance and Baroque Architecture) I was glad Alice explained to me that in this passage the portals were not those of cities but of a convent. After this I thanked all of the books and Alice for their time and telling me their stories, uploaded my post and went to dream of different doors and portals.