1841.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



177 



THE KURSAAL GEBAUDE AT BRUCKEKAU. 



(JFith tico Engravings, Plates V. and VI.) 



Plan of Principal Floor. 



i?-^ --t ^-^% 





LV 





Scale of feet. 



a, steps ; b, loggia : c, entrance hall ; d, dining hall ; e, intermediate hall ; 

 y, ball room ; g, staircases ; li. cloak and audience room. 



It will not diminish the interest of the subject to our readers to 

 know that, in his "Spas of Germany," Dr. Granville speaks of the 

 Kursaal at Briickenau, in the following highly complimentary terras. 

 " This is another of the great architectural works of whicli Bavaria 

 may well be proud, and the idea and design of which were suggested 

 by the King himself. It is the handsomest building of the kind I have 

 seen in my general excursions in the Spas of Germany, and its various 

 decorations are equal to any of the most exquisite productions of the 

 Bavarian artists. On the right a grand flight of stairs leads to the 

 king's gallerv. The pavement is tessellated, and the plafond richly 

 painted in stucco. From it depend five gigantic lustres which are 

 said to give to the interior, on gala nighls, the splendour of svmshine, 

 lighting up every part of a building which for loftiness, daring propor- 

 tions, and dimensions is such as an English people seldom witness in 

 their public edifices. It is the production of Gutensohn,* a native of 



' Jobann Gottfried Gutensohn was born at Liudenau, on the Lake of Con- 

 stance, in 1792. In conjunction with Knapp, he published a work on " Basi- 

 licas," 1822-6 ; and afterwards with Thiumer. another on the Italian archi- 

 tectural decoration of the loth century. In 1832 he proceeded to Greece, as 

 architect to King Oiho. 



Kg. 45.— Vol. IV.— June, 1841. 



Lindenau in Switzerland, who having shown when very young, and at 

 Munich, a considerable taste for architectural drawing, the King of 

 Bavaria sent him at his own expense to Italy and Greece, to complete 

 his studies. He is now residing at Wurzburg, and is employed in 

 public works on account of the crown. I did not ascertain what such 

 ■ a public building might have cost in Bavaria, but it would be easy to 

 calculate what sum would have come out of the Exchequer in this 

 country, were such a one to be attempted." 



So far the Doctor, — wlio at the time he wrote his description, had 

 no idea that it would be tested by being confronted with any drawings 

 of the edifice itself, or he would probably have expressed himself 

 rather more cautiously, for as far as mere design is concerned, there 

 certainly is nothing remarkably striking in the exterior of the build- 

 ino-; it is in a good though simple style, and possesses a certain pro- 

 priety of character ; besides which it has the advantage of being in- 

 sulated, and of strict consistency being kept up in every one of its 

 elevations. It should also be borne in mind that much of the effect 

 attending the building itself— of the play of perspective and of light 

 and shade produced by the open arcades enclosing the whole of the 

 lower part above the "basement, — is necessarily lost when the design 

 is exhibited only in separate geometrical drawings. On the other 

 hand, we are of opinion that consistency and uniformity have been 

 pushed somewhat farther towards monotony, than there was any occa- 

 sion for; and that the design would have been improved by having a 

 little more variety thrown into it. Neither is the building at all re- 

 markable for its size, the extreme dimensions being only 112 by 165 

 feet English. 



In fact we must presume that Dr. Granville's admiration was excited 

 chiefly by the interior and the style of its decoration, but we think that 

 he has there also a little magnified some circumstances, — for instance 

 when lie tells us of a grand flight of stairs leading to the king's gallery ; 

 because the plan shows that staircase (g) to be a very confined space. 

 Still there is undoubtedly much architectural grandeur and considerable 

 scenic effect in the Saa'l or saloon itself, which rises the entire height 

 of the building, and which may be said to occupy nearly the whole of 

 the ground floor, the Tanzsa'al or ball-room being in continuation of 

 the other, though less lofty, and divided from it only by an interme- 

 diate compartment (e) having three open arches towards either of the 

 other rooms. The decorations of the larger saloon, which is used as 

 a dining or banqueting room, and of which a large perspective view is 

 now Iving before us, exhibits a tasteful application of the Renaissance 

 style," or rather that of the Loggie of the Vatican. The deep and 

 spacious royal tribune or loggia which is seen through three open 

 arches in the upper part of the saloon, must have a strikingly splendid 

 and scenic effect. As regards this portion of the interior, generally, 

 we are of opinion that it contains much which would be exceedingly 

 appropriate and applicable for the interior of an Exchange, with a 

 covered area, lighted from above through a series of lunettes or semi- 

 circular windows (which might be left unglazed) just below the ceiling. 



To quit these remarks of our own— which ought perhaps rather to 

 have followed than preceded explanatory description, we return now to 

 the latter. The building, begun in 1827, and completed within four 

 years, stands upon a gentle declivity, in a beautiful valley, at no very 

 great distance from the mineral spring, and from the baths and lodgings 

 for visitors at the Spa. The edifice is raised upon a stylobate or low 

 rusticated basement, containing the kitchens, cellars, and other offices, 

 with the requisite accommodation for the domestic part of the estab- 

 lishment: which rooms are about 12 feet high, the floor being about 

 four or five feet lower than the ground level. A flight of steps (a) at each 

 end or front of the building leads up to the open loggia which forms 

 a covered terrace quite around it, where the visitors can promenade, 

 and enjoy the surrounding scenery. This loggia (6 6) consists exter- 

 nally of 40 arches— viz. 14 on each of the longer, and 9 on each of the 

 shorter sides or fronts,— and internally of 42 square compartments 

 covered by as many small segmental domes. The larger Saloon or 

 Dining Hail {d) is 54 feet (English) square, and 44 high; and its ceiling 

 which is flat, has a cove intersected or divided into spandrils by the 

 lunettes or arched spaces over the upper windows groining into it. 

 Both the ceiling itself and those sjrandrils are richly decorated, as are 

 likewise the panelled pilasters between the windows and upper arches, 

 and also the podium upon which they rest. In its lower part or floor- 

 plan, this Hall is greatly extended by the recesses or additional compart- 

 ments, with which it is connected by three open arches on each side, 

 and including which the dimensions become 'OS feet Englisli in tlie 

 longitudinal, and 82 in the transverse direction of the plan, lae 

 Talzsaal or Ball-room (/) measures 5Gi by 30 feet, or incluaing the 

 recesses at its ends, the total length is SOi feet. This room is very 

 differently proportioned from, and by no means so lofty as the othel^ 

 (which approiches to a cube), the height here being 2b feet, or 18 

 less than that of the other. ^ 



