Chateau de Montmusard

Charles de Wailly
Charles de Wailly was a french architect and urbanist. Born in November 1730, he was one of the key players in Neoclassical revival. He proposed "Gout grec" which was the earliest version of neoclassicism. A "..very noble style, far removed from the frippery manner which has reigned so long in our furnishings." was his explanation. He was accepted as first member of the Royal Academy of Architecture in 1771 and continued his focus on his engravings. His work then spread interest throughout Russia but he kept his loyalty to France. In 1772, he was the architect on site for the Chateau de Fontainebleau and worked on the Chateau de Menars. His works continued to be characterized by his growing passion for gout grec and later became the fabric that was Neoclassicism.



The Chateau de Montsumard was a fusion of Greek and French style. It was a divided estate located in Dijon, Cote-d'Or. On a plot size of 3 hectares, it was a privately owned establishment that was the site of a few projects. The initial drive for the Chateau was the perfection of geometry; the circle. The owner wanted the center to resemble a temple which emphasized all the action. The center would then radiate outwards to depict the rest of the building. The parti of the building can be best described as a circular center core with two rectangular wings erecting outward from it. Although it presented a strong divide in program, it was rather inefficient. The wings resulted in long walks to both ends of the building.


After the death of the owner, the son, Jean-Phillip would then host balls and events within the Chateau. Financial hardship eventually led to poor maintenance of the building. The Chateau then went under a series of ownership which progressively led to the progression/digression of the building. In 1795, Claude Hubert Anthony added another wing to the establishment, making the general parti of the building into a T-shape. This was an attempt at appropriating the geometry of the building but eventually turned into a financial opportunity. The lot that the Chateau resided on would eventually begin to be split up and sold. The demeanor of the chateau was in a sense deconstructed and became more of a memoir than a piece of architecture.

Citations:

Chateau de Montmusard , The World of the French Chateau , www.frenchchateau.net

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Neoclassicism and the Enlightenment: The Newgate Prison of George Dance

Image
Newgate Prison, George Dance, (London, UK); 1782-1904 ; Neoclassicism and the Enlightenment If in 1982 an observer had taken for a stroll in the London’s streets, and had reached the corner where Newgate Street and Old Bailey meet, one would have instantaneously noticed the austere building that stood and loomed in the desert plaza. Just by looking at its exterior walls any observer would have realized the nature of the building. Though its façade was impressive like a bank, no person would have mistaken the sight of hung chains for a welcome sign. The original prison at Newgate was built in 1188 but was rebuilt in 1770 by George Dance, though the completion date had to be delayed by two years due to being badly damaged during the Gordon Riots in 1780.  The Architect   George Dance, the Younger, (1741-1825), was a British architect who was responsible for extensive urban redevelopment in London and was a founding member of Great Britain’s Royal Academy of Arts
Read more

Secession Building

Image
This building was a masterpiece done by Gustav Klimt, one of the most widely recognized artworks of Secession style. It is even on the national side of the Austrian coin (.50). The Vienna Secession was founded in 1897 by Gustav Klimt, Joseph Maria Olbrich, and Josef Hoffman. Because Vienna was becoming a growing metropolis and it was supposed to be represented that way. They were inspired by arts and craft and organic geometries, essentially an abstract architecture. The building has a covered courtyard structure, it provided for gallery space on all sides of a large top-lit rectangular exhibition hall in the center. The materials used in this building was mainly masonry and metal. the crowning element sketched by Klimt included a perforated metal dome, suspended between four pylons and set above profiled planar masses. The slogan of the Secessionist movement is written above the entrance of the pavilion: "To every age its art, to every art its freedom”. Below the motto, the
Read more

Villa Wagner I, Vienna, Austria.1886-1888; Early 20th Century Pioneers

Image
Villa Wagner I, Vienna, Austria.1886-1 888; Early 20th Century Pioneers The Villas were designed and constructed by modernist architect, Otto Wagner in Hüttelbergstraße 26, district fourteen of Vienna, lower eastern Austria. This heavily wooded part of the Alps, also known as Penzing, is the home of both Villas, which happen to occupy adjacent lots. The first Villa, larger than the second, was constructed between 1886 and 1888, founding of the Secession the year after. The Villas were constructed by Otto to be residences, but now the original Villa is owned by the heirs of painter Ernst Fuchs. Villa Wagner I is known today as the Ernst Fuchs Private Museum (Unknown, "Wagner Villa I and II").   When Wagner began construction of the first Villa, he intended to make this place a center of relaxation and somewhere where his family could rest. It has some relationship to the nearby Hütteldorf forest, with the first villa at the end of it (Unknown, "Wagner V
Read more