112 Xan^scape Brcbitecture 



In the same chapter there are some remarks on the 

 selection of a site that are worth studying : 



"The site of a building must also be carefully con- 

 sidered. For instance, a feudal castle in the midst of 

 a level field of grain, as we find at Machem near 

 Leipzig, appears somewhat comical. And so is the 

 Egyptian pyramid which is to be found there in the 

 idyllic surroundings of a gay birch w^ood. As well 

 imagine a straw thatched hut surroimded by a 

 French parterre. All these are undesirable contrasts 

 that destroy the harmony. For example, pointed 

 Gothic buildings would make an unfavourable 

 impression if set among spruces and Lombardy 

 poplars, while amongst oaks, beeches, and pines they 

 would be quite in place. On the other hand, spruces 

 and poplars harmonize with the horizontal lines of 

 an oriental villa. 



"The importance of harmonious beauty has for 

 its corollary that the purpose of a building must be 

 evident in its style. A Gothic house, for instance, 

 which is nothing else, and has no other significance, 

 being built just for the sake of having something 

 Gothic on the grounds, produces a feeling of dis- 

 satisfaction. It is a hors d'ceuvre, uncomfortable as 

 a dwelling, and as a decoration unrelated to its sur- 

 roundings; but if we see on a distant hill the spires 

 of a chapel rising above the ancient trees, and we are 

 told that this is the burial place of the family, or a 

 temple actually used for worship, then we feel satis- 



