AR2107 History of Architecture II Ms. Chayapa M. ID. 5016342 Lagging Behind – The Thought of Ecole des Beaux-Arts The Ecole des Beaux-Arts School is the famous Academy of Classical art with studies of painting, sculpture and principle of architecture located in France which titled to be the school that produce expertise in the classical art. The reasons of build school is lacking of talent engineer and architect. So Louis XIV starts to build “Royal Academy of Architecture” in 1671.
After France revolution, Napoleon III granted the school independence from the government and the school changing name to “Ecole des Beaux-Arts School” in 1863. [1] The curriculum of the school divided into two major parts which is the “Academy of Painting and Sculpture” and ” Academy of Architecture”. By the curriculum focused on Classical style from ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The student will prove their basic skills with the basic drawing, mathematics, perspective and construction before go to study advance program of figure drawing and painting.
The student will be spending a few years to study the first reticulum before moving to the major architecture study in the studio. Basically to graduate from the school requirement is around 12-15 years to complete and only one people will win in the competition which will earn them a trip to go to study in Rome. [2] Pierre Francois Henri Labrouste, French architect who admitted in Ecole des Beaux-Arts School in 1819. He won the Grand Prix de Rome which is awarded to just only one student per year, and which funded the completion of the course in Italy studied Roman construction at the Villa Medici.
While Labrouste is in Rome he works as a conservative of the temples at Paestum to make his controversy the way which he had studies from The Beaux-Arts which fasten on classical idea. He do believe that architecture build up from their own functional and the social surrounding, which mean that the architecture should be what it’s meant to be according to the usage and along with the need of the social, no dead rule for design. Labrouste give a statement about his intention of design work which surely affected the later generation; “In architecture, form must always be appropriate to function.
A logical and expressive decoration must derive from the construction itself “. When Labrouste came back to Paris, he opened atelier (the architectural studio and office) which promoted his rationalist ideas. His first major work, the Bibliotheque Ste-Genevieve in Paris, in 1839 (built 1843-1850). Labrouste was punished by The Beaux-Arts for his heresy. By doing this make he unable to accept any work for 10 years. Also along with his diploma of graduation because the lack of intention or will to keep the school discipline.
Labrouste was assuming to be directly disobeying the school rule which counted to be seriously misbehavior action. [3] The Bibliotheque Ste-Genevieve is the first to use metal construction successfully shows the new idea of technology and architecture even though it doesn’t Be accepted by The Beaux-Arts. The Bibliotheque Ste-Genevieve library designed in Neo-renaissance style although it underlies metal structure relates to the cast iron architecture. The exterior use masonry structure but the interior use delicate, light, cast-iron structure.
The library has 2 stories: The first floor occupies the stacks at the left, book storage and office space at the right and the center has stairway leading to reading room. The main reading room is huge; it divided half by 16 beautiful cast-iron columns which are very slender and high. The barrel vaulted plaster at the ceiling supported by elaborated semi-circular trusses, also in cast-iron and decorate with leaves and flowers pattern. Between 1854 and 1875 he created the iron-glass interior of the reading room at the Bibliotheque Nationale. [4] In my opinion, in differently of idea between The Beaux-Arts and Labrouste has a similarly.
It can compare like The Beaux-Arts is a Labrouste’s mother, She teach and practice Labrouste all of the basic knowledge of her way until he grown up and need to find his own way. In fact, Labrouste still respect his mother but he needs to fine his own destiny. At some point which The Beaux-Arts, a mother should provide a guildline for the son and ensure of his footstep until he could possibly walk on his own. According to Labrouste work, he do not fully rejected what the Ecole teaching but in his work he try to mixed the two element between ancient knowledge of Classical idea and his idea of iron-structure, or the ideal of modernity.
The Bibliotheque Ste-Genevieve still hold to one’s principles of The Ecole des Beaux-Arts such as classical ornament like pilaster, arch and vault at facade, the exterior still use ancient material of masonry with classic appearance. [5] Moreover his design has clearly plan and composition which emphasized on function, he spend lighting from out side to interior with a lot of windows all around the reading room like the principle of The Beaux-Arts. Son should not be always same with his mom.
Anyway I disagree with the result of The Beaux-Arts punished Labrouste No one right or wrong in my opinion, both of them has a differently but they give an advantages to new generation and their ways successful. The Beaux-Arts still be famous and has a history longing more than 350 years until nowadays. They reserving the antique classical style and still teach all of students with their curriculum and the only curriculum as well, they give a passing the style on to future generations. [6]
Many famous artists were trained from here, they include Gericault, Degas, Delacroix, Fragonard, Ingres, Monet, Moreau, Renoir, Seurat, Cassandre and Sisley. The Beaux-Arts attracted student all around the world, including the United States where student return to design buildings that make influence the history of architecture in America such as the Boston Public Library, 1888-1895 by McKim, Mead & White and the New York Public Library by Carrere and Hastings in1897-1911. The architecture department separated from the Ecole after 1968.
The name changed to be Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts and now it has over 500 student use of largely classical art with modern add to the curriculum. [7] On the side of Henri Labrouste, He is the first one who starts to use metal construction. The new idea of Labrouste give many advantages, his circulation plan is directly clear and he use new material in his work. His design is a new idea in that period although has many people disagree with him, He still believe in his way and attempt to prove the different way from The Beaux-Arts until his new way accepted from everyone and give inspiration for a new generations.
In my opinion, different thought of Labrouste give him a famous and his name was memorize in history too. Labrouste thought give inspiration for new generations. In middle 19th Century, the central temperature control system which used to circulate the air ventilation is becoming popular using all around building in Europe and North America use in Theater, hospital and school designed by famous architect in that period. After French Revolution, in France has a gap between engineer and architect like Giedion said “separation of thought from feeling” but Labrouste has design Bibliothe’que Ste. Genevie’ve and Biblithe’que Nationle affect to Euge’ne Viollet-le-Duc who find the new way and new technology to develop construction industry by finding the answer of building form appropriate in that period more than hide the truth behind architecture which borrow from the past. [8] The truth of construction and this system interested from historian who study Modern architecture. Bibiothe’que Nationale not only show beautiful construction of dome but also re-constructed the system of hot air ventilation for the better environment system during the winter season.
As for the balancing between architectural language and the innovation of technology give a good result of functional and properly in design principle Moreover, Mckim, Mead and White to designed Boston Public library, USA. In 1887-1895 inspired by Labrouste library by mixed clearly function and clearly form together. [9] As in its conclusion that, yes in fact the Ecole des Beaux-Arts School which know to be master in the art of classical period of Greek and Roman arts.
Yes this school was able to produce the graduate which expertise in classical element and able to revive the ancient structure as it were building during that time. But what about the world which moving quickly and never trend to stop or moving backward, the need of people during the time was something important as the values of knowledge itself. Labrouste, a graduated student form Beaux-Arts school, was introducing the beyond expectation of the school, and claim that Labrouste is a betraying the school and punish him of his courts.
Without understanding of the will and intention from Labrouste, which he seem to understand the world much more than the school itself. In fact that even his work once question by public, but what the outcome is that the public became more and more open to his design which Ecole totally rejected at first. Until the time goes work of Labrouste became spared, not his design but his will and intention to use the principle of classic and merge them along with the world creating something further than just a classic structure.
The time had proved that Labrouste was wrights even the school later on must put this issue into their curriculum. Therefore Labrouste got punished from the Ecole as a ticket to earn his acceptance that being just a classic is not enough for him and the world. REFERENCES Sir Banister Fletcher. A History of Architecture. London: The Butterworth Group, 1987. Sir Banister Fletcher. A History of Architecture. London: The Butterworth Group, 1987 Robert Middleton and David Watkin. Neoclassical and 19th Century Architecture. New York: Electa/Rizzoli, 1980. John Julius Norwich, ed.
Great Architecture of the World . London: Mitchell Beazley Publishers, 1975 Marvin Trachtenberg and Isabelle Hyman. Architecture from Prehistory to Post-Modernism. Englewood Cliffs, 1986. Micheal Brawne. Libraries: Architecture and Equipment. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1970. Energy Efficient Buildings: Architecture, Engineering, and Environment, W. W. Norton, Inc. , New York, 2002. Collens Charles. “The Beaux-Arts in 1900,” The Journal of the American Institute of Architects, Feb. (1947), 80-87. ———————– [1] Sir Banister Fletcher.
A History of Architecture. London: The Butterworth Group, 1987. p1190, p1191. [2] Sir Banister Fletcher. A History of Architecture. London: The Butterworth Group, 1987. p1195-1200. [3] Robert Middleton and David Watkin. Neoclassical and 19th Century Architecture. New York: Electa/Rizzoli, 1980. NA600. M513, p233. [4] John Julius Norwich, ed. Great Architecture of the World . London: Mitchell Beazley Publishers, 1975, p. 208 [5] John Julius Norwich, ed. Great Architecture of the World . London: Mitchell Beazley Publishers, 1975, p. 212-215 Collens Charles. The Beaux-Arts in 1900,” The Journal of the American Institute of Architects, Feb. (1947), 80-87. [6] Marvin Trachtenberg and Isabelle Hyman. Architecture from Prehistory to Post-Modernism. Englewood Cliffs, 1986, p. 478. [7] Micheal Brawne. Libraries: Architecture and Equipment. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1970. p18. [8] Energy Efficient Buildings: Architecture, Engineering, and Environment, W. W. Norton&Company, Inc. , New York, 2002. p. 563-564 [9] Energy Efficient Buildings: Architecture, Engineering, and Environment, W. W. Norton&Company, Inc. , New York, 2002. p. 565
