When I arrived to Bibliothek Oechslin, my book “L’Art de bâtir des maisons de campagne” by Charles-Etienne Brisieux wasn’t available soi I was given a similarly written book : “Nouveau traité de toute l’architecture ou l’art de bastir” by M. De Cordemoy, published in Paris by Jean-Baptiste Coignard in 1714. The book covers the way to build the columns of the five orders (Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian and Composite) and their precise dimensions. It also describes the important architectural aspects of public and private buildings like recently built churches and bridges at the time and how to use ornaments in them. The book is divided into three parts that are split in chapters themselves. Part 1 has 10 chapters that go over the proportions of the 5 orders, part 2 has 7 chapters that explain the disposition and distribution of columns and pilasters and part 3 has 3 chapters that cover the right way of using the principles in buildings. The book has 290 pages with basically no images a part from a few decorative ones at the beginning but at the very end of the book, we can find highly detailed plans of the columns of the 5 orders. There are 12 pictures in total. The book is 25,7cm long, 20cm wide and has a height of 4cm. It can be therefore considered a Super Octavo size book.
