Reading architecture by materials
In the assembly of materials, transformed one by one, it is impossible not to see the know-how and daily life of men of art and learned theoreticians when you know where to look. For us, looking at a wall is like reading a page in a book. Each element is a word that adds to the story of the house and element by element, this story unfolds. The house reveals itself, while its builders also reveal their barely hidden secrets - the most moving among them can be found on the back of the materials. Turn over a piece of wood and you'll see how the carpenter has worked the wood with his chisel. Lift what appears to be a smooth stone, and you'll see the back of it has been roughly hewn by a cutter. These tradespeople, apprentices, journeymen or masters formed buildings as much as they formed themselves by building them. The material imposes its own rules. You have to accept them with humility and use the right tools.
If you look at the facade of a building, you can identify stone or brick bonding, a particular size and shape of window, a specific type of rendering, stone stringcourses running along each level, slate or tile roofs, and stone or iron balconies. The design of the openings is an indicator of the period and, where possible, wooden joinery is a precious witness. High wood-cross windows are characteristic of the late 17th century and were used until the second half of the 18th century. Technical developments accompany and enrich the evolution of style. All the clues are right there in front of you, and there are numerous combinations. The materials are assembled in a variety of ways and this alone allows us to assess the birth of the structure. Each era has its materials and each era, the implementation of these materials.
Reading architecture by ornamentation
What would material be without that which it represents? It's true that material creates the structure and allows it to stand tall and straight but that’s only part of its destiny. Some of the foundation stones are hidden in the earth: remove them and the entire structure collapses. Others play a more advantageous role: they adorn strategic points with their beauty. Each era has its definition of beauty and good taste. Given the rich diversity of the ornamentation, it is the shape and precise positioning of these ornaments that unashamedly reflect their period and style. Take, for example, a shell carved in stone. Renaissance shells support watchtowers, adorn niches and crown dormer windows. The shell of the Rocaille, also worn as a brooch, livens up woodwork and embellishes fireplace lintels, while the shell of the 1930s decorates wallpapers with its geometric veins. It's all about fashion. Even the reuse of the classical language of architecture, meaning the reintroduction of ornaments from Greco-Roman architecture from the Renaissance onwards, varies from one century to the next. The architectural treatises lay the foundations for an insightful use of ancient architecture, then each work brings its own interpretation and creative flair. In this way, two buildings from the same period are similar, yet perfectly singular.
By reading architecture through its ornamentation, you can confirm hypotheses and pinpoint a date, an era or a style.
