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

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