446 



RENAISSANCE ARCHITECTURE IN FRANCE. 



426. PARIS: PALAIS DE JUSTICE: " COUR DU MAI" (REBUILT 1776). 



to design another important building in Paris, the Ecole Militaire 

 (begun 1752). About 1769 Brongniart was appointed to continue the 

 work, which was not completed till 1787. It is a vast institution, com- 

 prising, like the Invalides, a number of rectangular courts, of which, 

 however, only the central one is of special interest. The main block 

 is of E plan with its back to the Champ-de-Mars (Fig. 425), and its front 

 to the court of honour. The centre is occupied by a pavilion which 

 has a pedimented portico on either face with a giant Corinthian order, 

 whose entablature runs round the building and accommodates a row 

 of oblong windows in the frieze ; above the order is an attic storey and 

 an enriched square dome. Across the inner face of the block between 

 this pavilion and the return wings runs a two-storeyed loggia with two 

 orders of coupled columns, Doric and Ionic. The pairs of columns 

 do not stand free but are joined by a wall so as to form a solid pier. 

 This peculiar arrangement corrects the weakness of effect which might 

 result from the collocation of two small orders with a large one equal 

 to their combined height. The court is screened on either side from 

 subsidiary ones by similar but single-storeyed loggias. The pavilions, in 

 which these terminate, have pyramidal stone tops carrying sculpture, 

 and are linked together by a monumental iron grille and gates. The 

 treatment throughout exhibits that restrained good taste in proportion, 

 detail, and ornament which is characteristic of all the best work of the 

 time, and notably of several of the public buildings of Paris. 



HOTEL DES MONNAIES. Chief among these is the Mint or Hotel 

 des Monnaies (1771-75). Several of the best known architects of the 



