Reading architecture like a book
It often happens, at Leyrit & Turpeau, that an owner asks us: ‘’How can you already know the history of my property when you only arrived five minutes ago?’’
It's not a question of how well we've prepared for our meeting, or whether five minutes is enough time to swamp the other person with a deluge of information… No, that's not what it's about. It's all about being able to, at first glance, read architecture, understand its chronology and place it in time. Architecture is a language that can be learned, practiced and maintained.
Reading architecture by morphology
The first essential source of information is the morphology of the construction. That's why we make a point of observing the silhouette as well as the overall volume. Is the building made up of one or more main buildings? Is it twice the depth? Are any outbuildings directly attached to the main residence? And if there are several parts, does each have its own roof or does a single roof connect the whole? Each configuration is unique and provides precious evidence that must be carefully gathered and analysed like a detective. While the differences between a medieval castle and a Second Empire castle seem fairly obvious, it's interesting to note that the closer the distinct periods are, the more careful the dating exercise needs to be. The differences sometimes lie in the finer details. For example, a 17th-century chateau will have independent roofs, as can be seen at the Château de Maisons-Laffitte; and an 18th-century chateau could have one overall roof comprising independent sections like the Château du Villarceaux. And yet almost a century separates them. But be careful! There are several unique cases, and the eclecticism of the 19th century can cover the tracks.
Reading architecture by history
Reading architecture is an exercise in style that requires both a knowledge of history and art history as it applies to construction. Every building is built at a more or less precise date, over a more or less long duration of time, in a given era of which it inexorably reflects all of the contradictions, all of the complexities but above all, all of the depth. Architecture is influenced both by its immediate surroundings and by major landmark events. For example, a tumultuous period punctuated by wars favoured the emergence of strongholds designed to defend a territory while protecting its inhabitants. Another example is the demographic decline caused by plague epidemics in the 16th and 17th centuries, which led to the sizing of dwellings proportionate to the number of servants still available to cultivate the land. As a final example, a simple political decision could reduce a fortress to dust. On 31 July 1626, Cardinal de Richelieu ordered the dismantling of not just one, but nearly 2000 fortified castles that had become "useless" for defending the crown. Fortunately, with this decisive act, His Eminence paved the way for many more modern reconstructions, which became residential chateaux rather than defensive castles. But these are just a few examples. The most important thing is to reposition each stone in its own time, like putting each piece of a jigsaw puzzle in its rightful place. Therefore it’s necessary to maintain a good background knowledge of historical chronology as well as points of reference in art history.
