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Refectory, Saint-Martin des Champs, Paris. After Lassus. (Choisy 1899, 2: 528) Knowing the importance of ponderation as an aesthetic concept, grounded in an

Figure 4 Refectory, Saint-Martin des Champs, Paris. After Lassus. (Choisy 1899, 2: 528) Knowing the importance of ponderation as an aesthetic concept, grounded in an

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Saint-Georges de Boscherville. After Ruprich-Robert. Choisy 1899, 2: 193) exhibits a unity expressed through the organic analogy so pervasive throughout nary breadth of Choisy’s prolific writings, including both text and illustrations,
Saint-Georges de Boscherville. After Ruprich-Robert. Choisy 1899, 2: 193) exhibits a unity expressed through the organic analogy so pervasive throughout nary breadth of Choisy’s prolific writings, including both text and illustrations,
Figure 7 Baths of Caracalla, Rome. After Blouet. (Choisy 1899, 1: 572) ing are mutually self-buttressing without need for extraneous consolidation»
Figure 7 Baths of Caracalla, Rome. After Blouet. (Choisy 1899, 1: 572) ing are mutually self-buttressing without need for extraneous consolidation»
(Choisy 1873, 92—95).!> Choisy’s appreciation of self-bracing extended to all levels of structural forms. In the Histoire, he illustrated a late Gothic form of flying buttress as found in the Cathedral of Alencon, Figure 8, and used also in the rebuilding of the choir buttresses of Amiens Cathedral, as well as other late Gothic buildings, whereby the combination of paired arches, each reversed with respect to the other «conjoins the advantage of an absolute rigidity with that of bracing the entire height of the shoulders» of the vault (Choisy 1899, 2: 305).'° Choisy’s abbreviated style does not enter into lengthy explanations about many of his assertions. Hence the reader is left to figure out that this «absolute rigidi- ty» derives from the self-bracing action of each arch that arrests the possible de- formation of the other and reinforces the consolidation through compression of each arch. formation of the other and reinforces the consolidation through compression of Choisy’s explanation of the self-bracing action of the buttress in Alengon takes it place as a late solution in a series of designs that Viollet-le-Duc had pre- viously considered according to this theme of self-bracing. Toward 1260 in the straight section of the choir of Amiens Cathedral, the separation of the arched flyer and the top diagonal strut, customarily in close proximity but now distanced by the introduction of a light tracery between the two, deprived the buttress of a needed self-bracing against the combined thrust of the vault and the transverse arch, causing the buttress to lift out of place. This deficiency in design was reme- died in the fifteenth-century redesign of the buttresses for the choir of the church of Eu, Figure 9, where a thick diagonal stone strut in the form of a reversed flat arch was built directly upon the arched flyer «so as to oppose a powerful resis-
(Choisy 1873, 92—95).!> Choisy’s appreciation of self-bracing extended to all levels of structural forms. In the Histoire, he illustrated a late Gothic form of flying buttress as found in the Cathedral of Alencon, Figure 8, and used also in the rebuilding of the choir buttresses of Amiens Cathedral, as well as other late Gothic buildings, whereby the combination of paired arches, each reversed with respect to the other «conjoins the advantage of an absolute rigidity with that of bracing the entire height of the shoulders» of the vault (Choisy 1899, 2: 305).'° Choisy’s abbreviated style does not enter into lengthy explanations about many of his assertions. Hence the reader is left to figure out that this «absolute rigidi- ty» derives from the self-bracing action of each arch that arrests the possible de- formation of the other and reinforces the consolidation through compression of each arch. formation of the other and reinforces the consolidation through compression of Choisy’s explanation of the self-bracing action of the buttress in Alengon takes it place as a late solution in a series of designs that Viollet-le-Duc had pre- viously considered according to this theme of self-bracing. Toward 1260 in the straight section of the choir of Amiens Cathedral, the separation of the arched flyer and the top diagonal strut, customarily in close proximity but now distanced by the introduction of a light tracery between the two, deprived the buttress of a needed self-bracing against the combined thrust of the vault and the transverse arch, causing the buttress to lift out of place. This deficiency in design was reme- died in the fifteenth-century redesign of the buttresses for the choir of the church of Eu, Figure 9, where a thick diagonal stone strut in the form of a reversed flat arch was built directly upon the arched flyer «so as to oppose a powerful resis-
tance to the lifting of the arch at point C caused by the thrust of the vault».'” Vio- llet-le-Duc praised the flying buttress of Troyes Cathedral, Figure 10, where the stonework of the double stone strut with open tracery —whose bottom chord was tangent to the arch— was arranged perpendicular to the arch, so as to «brace them more effectively» than the vertically disposed tracery at Amiens and Eu (Viollet-le-Duc 1854-1868, 1: 72-78).'® Choisy continued this line of line of thinking by repeating Viollet-le-Duc’s analysis of the flying buttress at Eu and then adducing for a second time the example of Alengon, where the reversed arch works even more effectively: «Any lifting [of the arched flyer] is henceforth im- possible» (Choisy 1899, 2: 309-310).” a4 614
tance to the lifting of the arch at point C caused by the thrust of the vault».'” Vio- llet-le-Duc praised the flying buttress of Troyes Cathedral, Figure 10, where the stonework of the double stone strut with open tracery —whose bottom chord was tangent to the arch— was arranged perpendicular to the arch, so as to «brace them more effectively» than the vertically disposed tracery at Amiens and Eu (Viollet-le-Duc 1854-1868, 1: 72-78).'® Choisy continued this line of line of thinking by repeating Viollet-le-Duc’s analysis of the flying buttress at Eu and then adducing for a second time the example of Alengon, where the reversed arch works even more effectively: «Any lifting [of the arched flyer] is henceforth im- possible» (Choisy 1899, 2: 309-310).” a4 614
Undulating unbaked brick wall, Karnak. (Choisy 1904, 24)
Undulating unbaked brick wall, Karnak. (Choisy 1904, 24)
body of the wall, one segment bites into the other» (Choisy 1904, 35).2° Choisy also appreciated how the segments of gently convex profile, Figure 12, not only reduced the thrust by half with respect to flat segments but also established an internal self-bracing action between every two convex segments: «Thrust F is replaced by thrust f; which is about half as strong. Not only is the thrust attenu- ated, but a symmetrical thrust f’ develops, which effectively counterbalances the thrust f» (Choisy 1904, 36).7!
body of the wall, one segment bites into the other» (Choisy 1904, 35).2° Choisy also appreciated how the segments of gently convex profile, Figure 12, not only reduced the thrust by half with respect to flat segments but also established an internal self-bracing action between every two convex segments: «Thrust F is replaced by thrust f; which is about half as strong. Not only is the thrust attenu- ated, but a symmetrical thrust f’ develops, which effectively counterbalances the thrust f» (Choisy 1904, 36).7!
Choisy also admired the self-bracing found in Moorish architecture through the superimposition of arches in the Great Mosque of Cordoba, Figure 13, A. Lateral stability was assured for the stacked piers by adding a second level of bracing arches, a technique that was then repeated with en- hanced decorative effect, Figure 13, B, as well as enhanced rigidity, by an in- terlocking pattern that linked the lower columns with arches reaching across two bays with an upper range of arches that spanned one bay each: «This new arrangement had the advantage of assuring a supplementary rigidity» (Choisy 1899, 2: 92-93), Choisy, like Viollet-le-Duc before him, does not appear to have recognized the double wall as a structural form.” Robert Mark and his co-authors —following upon Jean Bony’s and Robert Branner’s studies of the double wall as an aesthetic form in Romanesque architecture— discuss double walls, which they term «walls-with-voids», and comment on the strength afforded for bracing thrusting vaults (Bonde 1993, 106-107). Yet Choisy would identify double walls as self- bracing forms through analogy to timber braces when he found comparable forms in stone.
Choisy also admired the self-bracing found in Moorish architecture through the superimposition of arches in the Great Mosque of Cordoba, Figure 13, A. Lateral stability was assured for the stacked piers by adding a second level of bracing arches, a technique that was then repeated with en- hanced decorative effect, Figure 13, B, as well as enhanced rigidity, by an in- terlocking pattern that linked the lower columns with arches reaching across two bays with an upper range of arches that spanned one bay each: «This new arrangement had the advantage of assuring a supplementary rigidity» (Choisy 1899, 2: 92-93), Choisy, like Viollet-le-Duc before him, does not appear to have recognized the double wall as a structural form.” Robert Mark and his co-authors —following upon Jean Bony’s and Robert Branner’s studies of the double wall as an aesthetic form in Romanesque architecture— discuss double walls, which they term «walls-with-voids», and comment on the strength afforded for bracing thrusting vaults (Bonde 1993, 106-107). Yet Choisy would identify double walls as self- bracing forms through analogy to timber braces when he found comparable forms in stone.
choice of «polygonal cupola that thrust only slightly» was accompanied by the construction of an airy internal line of piers that were linked to the walls with three levels of miniature barrel vaults —precisely the feature that Mark and his co-authors (Bonde 1993, 106-107) would identify as the best way to tie a double wall together in order to avoid shear and to render it an effective structural form. In this way, explained Choisy, «the walls were engaged in contributing to the equilibrium; and this artifice of interior bracing elegantly reduced in thickness gave birth to one of the most original decorative effects ever found in Ro- manesque art» (Choisy 1899, 2: 198—200).4
choice of «polygonal cupola that thrust only slightly» was accompanied by the construction of an airy internal line of piers that were linked to the walls with three levels of miniature barrel vaults —precisely the feature that Mark and his co-authors (Bonde 1993, 106-107) would identify as the best way to tie a double wall together in order to avoid shear and to render it an effective structural form. In this way, explained Choisy, «the walls were engaged in contributing to the equilibrium; and this artifice of interior bracing elegantly reduced in thickness gave birth to one of the most original decorative effects ever found in Ro- manesque art» (Choisy 1899, 2: 198—200).4
of bricks joined with horizontal brick struts and provided with arches (or thi Once again, although Choisy did not develop a general theory of double-shell construction in vaults and domes, he did comment on the 25-meter diameter brick dome of the early fourteenth-century Mausoleum of Oljaitu at Sultanieh, Figure 17, whose structure, as explained by Choisy, consists of two thin surfaces of bricks joined with horizontal brick struts and provided with arches (or thin
of bricks joined with horizontal brick struts and provided with arches (or thi Once again, although Choisy did not develop a general theory of double-shell construction in vaults and domes, he did comment on the 25-meter diameter brick dome of the early fourteenth-century Mausoleum of Oljaitu at Sultanieh, Figure 17, whose structure, as explained by Choisy, consists of two thin surfaces of bricks joined with horizontal brick struts and provided with arches (or thin
that applied itself ingeniously to produce great works: it is all comprised of arti- Such, then, is the economy of our great Gothic buildings with respect to the general system of equilibrium: the entire structural mechanism with respect to statics is re- duced to the ribs that permit the direction of the thrusts and the flying buttresses that permit them to be opposed from afar. Thanks to this double means, the builder can master the thrusts that the use of vaults involves. Eliminating all inert mass, he is able to reduce the building to its active parts. Deprived of powerful means [as found in mass], he substitutes combinations [of active structural forms] . . . One might regret that so skillful an organism is at the same time so complex and especially that a mem- ber so essential as the flying buttress is directly exposed to the causes of destruction: but this was the price to pay for equilibrium. such, then, is the economy of our great Gothic buildings with respect to the general
that applied itself ingeniously to produce great works: it is all comprised of arti- Such, then, is the economy of our great Gothic buildings with respect to the general system of equilibrium: the entire structural mechanism with respect to statics is re- duced to the ribs that permit the direction of the thrusts and the flying buttresses that permit them to be opposed from afar. Thanks to this double means, the builder can master the thrusts that the use of vaults involves. Eliminating all inert mass, he is able to reduce the building to its active parts. Deprived of powerful means [as found in mass], he substitutes combinations [of active structural forms] . . . One might regret that so skillful an organism is at the same time so complex and especially that a mem- ber so essential as the flying buttress is directly exposed to the causes of destruction: but this was the price to pay for equilibrium. such, then, is the economy of our great Gothic buildings with respect to the general
while allowing the sunlight to spread out without a sharp profile. This dual fault was alleviated with the removal of the neck. While this neck existed, the channel- ing either stopped below it or penetrated into its concavity (C). With the disap- pearance of the neck the channeling was continued to the point of spreading of the echinus (N, P). Yet (N), the continued use of multiple rings (H) that cast deep shadows was soon recognized as aesthetically inferior to a simple indentation (P), like a saw cut, to mark the end of the shaft and the beginning of the capital, as found in the Temple of Theseus and in the Doric buildings at the Acropolis. This example serves to show how through Choisy’s attentive eye, the multiple goals of constructive rigor, expressive logic, and poetic effect are gradually perfected in a given society (Choisy 1899, 1: 315-318). ~
while allowing the sunlight to spread out without a sharp profile. This dual fault was alleviated with the removal of the neck. While this neck existed, the channel- ing either stopped below it or penetrated into its concavity (C). With the disap- pearance of the neck the channeling was continued to the point of spreading of the echinus (N, P). Yet (N), the continued use of multiple rings (H) that cast deep shadows was soon recognized as aesthetically inferior to a simple indentation (P), like a saw cut, to mark the end of the shaft and the beginning of the capital, as found in the Temple of Theseus and in the Doric buildings at the Acropolis. This example serves to show how through Choisy’s attentive eye, the multiple goals of constructive rigor, expressive logic, and poetic effect are gradually perfected in a given society (Choisy 1899, 1: 315-318). ~
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