1S41.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



73 



EPISODES OF PLAN. 

 •' Ta^det quotidianarum harumformarum." 



That there should be any thing at all novel in our manner of treat- 

 ing the subject we have chosen, — that the same idea should not have 

 presented itself toothers, and have been frequently adopted and carried 

 out in publications bearing upon the particular branch of arL-hitectmal 

 study towards which this series will, we trust be found to contribute 

 something fresh, — that such should be the case causes us no small sur- 

 prise. Yet that we have not been anticipated in our present task by 

 any one else, we may venture to affirm with tolerable confidence, since 

 in none of the architectural works, either English or Foreign, we have 

 seen — and our acquaintance with them is tolerably extensive— have 

 we ever met with any studies of the kind we here purpose bringing 

 forward. Nav the subject itself, as regards Plan generally, is almost 

 invariably passed over without the slightest remark of any kind, as if 

 either it were altogether unimportant in respect to design, contrivance, 

 and effect; or as if the merits and defects, the advantages or disad- 

 vantages arising out of it were so exceedingly obvious to every one 

 as to render it quite unnecessary to call attention to circumstances of 

 that kind. In regard to Plans it is thought quite sufficient to give the 

 mere explanatory itfertncts to them, witliout any thing farther even in 

 the way of descriptive remark ; much less arc they ever accompanied 

 by any thing like critical examination and comment. The Vitruvius 

 Brifannicus and similar works are so far altogether dumb books to the 

 student, leaving him entirely to his own discernment and application, 

 without even so much as putting him in the way of properly and pro- 

 fitably exercising them. 



For this neglect of what deserves quite as much attention as almost 

 any thing else in architecture, the only excuse that can be alleged — 

 and a most unsatisfactory and provoking excuse it is — is that the plans 

 themselves are so exceedingly common-place and insipid as scarcely 

 to afford any matter at all for remark. We can learn from them the 

 number and dimensions of the rooms, and beyond that there is very 

 rarely any thing whatever in a plan that claims particular notice ; for 

 scarcely ever do we m»>et with a single piquant and (fftrlful Episode. 

 As seldom, too, do we find aught very original or particularly happy 

 in the general combination — in what may be called the laying out of a 

 building, generally. Instead of perceiving diligent study in this 

 respect, we far more frequently detect — or rather, are struck by de- 

 fects that seem to have originated in sheer negligence and inattention, 

 they being such as could hardly ever have been suffered to pass, had 

 the drawings been duly revised and reconsidered fur the purpose of 

 ascertaining whether they were susceptible of improvement. Laugier's 

 remarks as to the extreme importance and value of Plan, are so ex- 

 cellent that they ought to be written in letters cf gold, and hung up in 

 every school of architecture, — certainly to be noticed in every ele- 

 mentary course of the study ; and yet the advice they contain is either 

 unknown or disregarded, which circumstance is rather a discouraging 

 one to ourselves, inasmuch as it indicates what little attention is paid 

 to, or interest is taken in what we have here selected as our subject. 



Another writer, Milizia, reproaches architects with the monotonous- 

 ness of their plans, and with scarcely ever deviating from the most 

 "quotidian forms." With here and there a solitary exception, as 

 he remarks, all our rooms — the most sumptuous as well as the most 

 ordinary ones — are rectangular both in plan and profile ; that is, are 

 .spaces enclosed only by four walls, and covered by a flat ceiling; con- 

 sequently variety is reduced to little more than that which can be ob- 

 tained by means of size and i>roportion, in regard to which there can 

 be comparatively little difference in any suite of principal apartments 

 in a house. For diversity of character, therefore, rooms are, in gene- 

 ral, made to depend solely upon fitting-up, decoration, and funiiture — 

 matters which, as usually managed, are hardly considered to belong 

 to the architect's province at all. In regard to what is strictly under- 

 stood by the architecture of a room, variety of design seldom extends 

 beyond what may be called mere pa/ler7i ; the general forms being in 

 every case the same, let them differ as they may in regard to detail. 

 We are far from denying that considerable difference of character is 

 attainable even according to the usual practice ; but then it is obvious 

 that such difference might be increased in geometrical ratio, by adopt- 

 ing forms that would lead to an infinity of combinations. 



The system hitherto pursued in laying out — not ordinary houses, but 

 mansions where we might expect. to meet with all the graces of in- 

 terior architecture, is calculated to produce only the minimum of 

 effect ; and what little eft'ect it admits of is generally misplaced, being 

 bestowed not on the apartments themselves, but merely on the ap- 

 proach to them. Far more frequently than not, such parts as entrance 

 halls and staircases are both more spacious and more striking — both 

 more architectural and more picturesque than any others ; and in com- 



parison with them, the rooms to which they lead, seem quite common- 

 place — not to say insignificant.* The consequence is, a most uufor- 

 tunate anti-climax. That the first coup d'oeil on entering should be a 

 favourable one, and impressive in itself, we readily grant ; still what is 

 so shown should be treated as only preparatory — as something intended 

 to excite currosity, and not as a magnificent promise followed by non- 

 performance and disappointment. There ought at least to be some- 

 thing of equal value kept in reserve, so as, at any rate to keep up a 

 balance, if no more ; whereas the contrary mode may not inaptly be 

 described as a sort of bathos in architectural composition, — as the re- 

 verse of a cnscendo effect, — as a most disagreeable and provoking, 

 because disappointing, hysteron-proteron. 



Before proceeding further, it may be as well fairly to meet, knock 

 down, and put hofs de combat at once those objections which, we fore- 

 see, are likely to be brought against the system we ourselves advocate, 

 unless we can show that so far from having overlooked, we have con- 

 sidered, and are prepared to meet them. In the first place it may be 

 urged with some degree of plausibility that if the kind of monotony 

 and sameness which, together with Milizia, we hold to be a defect, 

 were really felt to be such, and on the other hand, the picturesqueness 

 and variety arising out of circumstances of plan and section, were 

 positive merits, pains would be taken to secure the latter, and avoid 

 the former. To this we reply; the constant repetition of the same 

 hackneyed, commonplace forms is looked upon as matter of course : 

 people in general are quite reconciled to it, because they neither look 

 for, nor have any idea of what may be produced by a different mode 

 of treatment. Besides which, the defect is rather negative than posi- 

 tive : a room is not faulty because it is "quotidian" in form, and there 

 is nothing particular in it as to design, or that distinguishes it from a 

 thousand others ; the fault complained of is, that by confining ourselves 

 to a single idea, as it were, we completely forfeit all those varied 

 effects of which we might avail ourselves. Nor can it be said that 

 the architectural picturesqueness arising out of plan, and general ar- 

 rangement, is not worth the study it demands, because we have ever 

 found that where it has been produced, it has always struck every one, 

 and made a far greater impression upon them, than mere decoration, 

 however costly. Granting that nothing whatever is gained by it in 

 point of convenience, coml'urt, or accommodation, — and that a room 

 of the most ordinary shape may be fitted up and furnished quite as 

 splendidly as one which is striking on account of its architectural de- 

 sign; — what then ? if any argument against our view of the case is to 

 be derived from that, it may be extended so as to be applied with 

 equal propriety against beauty of proportions in a room, for neither 

 does that conduce to convenience or comfort, nor does the want of it 

 prevent display being made in decoration and furniture. 



It will be said, however, that such unusual — or as they will be called 

 very out-of-the-way forms as are some of those we intend to bring for- 

 ward in the course of the present Essay, would be found expensive in 

 execution — perhaps be attended with loss of space, and would hardly 

 admit of being applied without sacrificing other parts of the plan. 

 That they would be more expensive is not disputed : therefore where 

 economy is to be consulted quite as much — if not more than effect, 

 they are of course out of the question ; yet on that account they are 

 no more open to censure or cavilling, than porticoes and many other 

 things in architecture, which being of no positive — at least of no urgent 

 utility, may be dispensed with where their cost becomes a serious 

 consideration. It may further be frankly conceded on our part, that 

 to introduce into a plan such features as our Episodes, would demand 

 much more study and contrivance than is required when all that is to be 

 done is to divide it into a given number of squares or parallelograms 

 for the different rooms. To those who complacently satisfy them- 

 selves with doing that, and who consider any thing further no better 

 than superfluous trouble, no ideas but those of "quotidian" routine are 

 likely to present themselves, let the opportunity for introducing others 

 be as favourable as it may. Hence, we rarely meet with any novelty 

 — or aught striking, in regard to the plan, except in peculiar and ob- 

 stinate cases, where, owing to local difficulties or other circumstances, 

 the architect has been obliged to humour them, and has thereby been 

 actually compelled to deviate from the ordinary track, and adopt by 

 way of expedient what he would neither have done nor thought of 

 doing, through choice.'!' Without premeditation, and being brought 



'^ We were lately consulted as to apian for a very extensive mansion about 

 to be erected, where, on immediately entermg the house the visitor sees he- 

 fore him a grand architectural vista nf about 300 feet in length, — a most im- 

 posing display, no doubt, but produced at the cost of all the rest, for all the 

 rooms w'oukl appear little better than cabinets in comparison with it. We 

 accordingly suggested that it wouUi be an improvement, to make a moderate 

 sized entrance vestibule, and reserve the other part as a grand gallery coming 

 at the termination of the suite nf reception and drawing rooms. 



7 It may very fairly be ijuestionet whether the in'erior of Windsor Castle 



M 



