stairs, levels
The drawings in «anderer Versuch seiner architect» written by Johann Rudolph Fäsch show bourgeois and royal buildings. The buildings are printed as sections, floor plans and views of the façades. The difference between the bourgeois and the royal buildings can be seen in the way the entrances are. Precisely in the appearance of stairs, of height levels and figure of the stairs.
The bourgeois buildings such as “Bürgerliches Wohnhaus” (Tafel 1 to 3) and “Kauffmannshaus” (Tafel 4 to 7) don’t have stairs that lead to the entrance. There is no difference in height level from the outside of the building to the inside behind the entrance. I read this as a practical use and understanding of these bourgeois buildings. These buildings are meant for people with rational thinking that come across the street and hurry into the building. It feels like they bring the outside reality directly into the building without a difference in level.
In contrary, the royal buildings show all kinds of stairs, varying in height, length and form. These so called royal buildings I call royal because they are meant for a higher noble class, appearing much more playful and monumental than the bourgeois buildings. For example the “Landhaus” (Tafel 11 ton14) has its own steps for every entrance. This separating of the entrances underlines their different uses and the function of this side of the façade: coming and going. The other side of the house, the back side, has longer stairs in the middle of the house making a more dramatic walk into the garden and the hidden/private side of the house.
The “Palais vor einen grossen Herrn» (Tafel 15 to 18) is the biggest and most monumental building of this compilation of drawings. Its entrance on the frontside determines the importance of its inhabitants. Only one entrance with many steps and wide spread leads to the door. The stairs are divided in three parts: an inner staircase which leads directly to the door. On the sides there are two wavy staircases, symmetric which support the inner stairs and lead to the sides of the entrance. The three staircases implement a clear hierarchy when climbing the stairs. The emperor in the middle, getting supported by people on the outer stairs.
Leading to the maximum playfulness of the staircases, as a last example serves the “Lust-Haus” (Tafel 23 to 24). There are two stairs on the edges of the front façade which lead upwards but not directly onto a door. The stairs lead around the building, opening up to a patio on both sides, so the entrances are on the side façades of the building. This yields to a curiosity when climbing the steps and also makes the entrance much more private which is appropriate for a “Lust House”.
keywords: stairs/ bourgeois/ royal