June 29, 2002
Chateau Architecture
Chateau Architecture
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| The Arts and Metiers. 23 Juin. |
Indeed, a timeless question. Well here you have it, a fine "transitional period" building that shows the where and wherefore of that architectural peculiarity.
The chateaux-style construction links back to the political/economic organization of French society under feudalism. Local lords ruled their fiefdoms oppressively while warring with their neighbors constantly (like at your office job). The lords had houses, and since there were many lords the houses are spread all around France. They are moderately sized, not Versailles-scale because they antedate the consolidation of power and the nationalism movements to follow. Fine.
But their generally warlike roots required fortress construction, not suburban pleasure palaces. Here on the Arts et Metiers (the engineering university in Paris, I think) you can see the fundamentally Lego-esque fortress. The round turret tower with the little slits for pouring hot oil or shooting arrows or whatever. The windows lined up with like the row of teeth on top of Castle Grayskull in He-Man; the Platonic form of the 'medieval castle'. Only the moat is missing.
As the warring and such subsided, the places got spruced up. Need a roof on that ugly old turret? Well, a cone will do to keep the rain off of Rapunzel or Rumplestiltskin or whoever you need to keep up there. Same thing with that huge, sloping mansard roof on the corners. There you have it.
Posted by amol at June 29, 2002 09:18 AM