Scale III: on the Wall

I Between Open and Closed

Opening in superposition to the bay-rhythm.
Density is defined by pier : bay-rhythm.

 

‘Naturally the opening that must be made in the wall has itself a form, though of a spatial kind; we therefore relate the interface between open and closed to the opening, so that the form of the latter is determined by the height and breadth of the hole and the thickness of the wall.’

Dom Hans van der Laan, ASIV.13

The wall is regarded as a ‘squared solid’ with openings, a composition of wall pieces with clearly delineated rectangular open and closed parts. Every wall piece is a eurhythmic and symmetric play of measures within an order. As such, space can be read through clear lines, delineating planes, which in turn delineate the volumes. This constitutes an important condition for Dom van der Laan: volumes and planes cannot be read intuitively as such. Our perception translates volumes into lines that we count.

II Articulation of the wall

I

When the opening in the wall is small, it is this opening which is measured.

This is a central position of the smaller size.

‘

The opening is thus more positive in form than the wall on which it is superposed: the form of the hole is outlined against the comparative formlessness of the wall. Moreover the actual limits of the slab-shaped wall are so far away from those of the hole that the immediate surroundings of the hole appears formless.’  (VDL, AS IV, 13)

II

When the opening becomes larger, at some point it looses its form. Attention starts to go to the peripheral elements and their measures.

III

Large opening, losing its form
Peripheral disposition of the smaller sizes.

‘If the hole gets larger in proportion to the wall, its sides begin to relate to those of the wall itself rather than to each other. The interface between the open and solid areas of wall attaches itself to the solid, so that the latter takes on the appearance of a frame around the hole: the right- and left-hand sections of wall appear as piers, and the top section as a lintel (fig. c). The slab-shaped mass of the wall therefore breaks down into three bar-shaped pieces, each of which is superposed on the form of the whole wall. The hole as such no longer has any form…’ (VDL, AS IV, 14)

Drawings from AS VI.12,13,14

The composition of the openings is closely linked to our way of looking. It is the smallest size that is most clearly evident in a composition and it is therefore used to express the rhythm.

In one case, the opening manifests itself as a hole, and in the other, it loses its shape.
In the first case, the opening is regarded as a window.
In the latter, there is a superposition of piers and lintels on a wall. Through these piers and lintels the wall is called into being. One can speak of a framing of the opening.

III 5 column-spacings and 5 window-arrangements

The density of the rhythms is defined through the formulas of 5 column-spacings and  5 window-arrangements, which articulate different bay-rhythms. Their density is expressed through pier or opening in relation to the bay-rhythm. So the pier or opening is always measured in superposition to the bay-rhythm.

In a series of ten spacings of different densities, the bay-rhythm is set at 100, measured on the axes. In the column-spacings, the columns are in proportion to the bay-rhythms. In the window arrangements, it is the windows that are measured.

The point where one moves from window-arrangement to column-spacing lies in the relation solid (light) : void (dark) = 3:4.

I

Five column-spacings:

 

Araeostylos

21:100 or 2:9

II

Five column-spacings:

 

Diastylos

24.5:100 or 1:4

(opening : solid = 3:1)

III

Five column-spacings:

 

Eustylos

28:100 or 2:7

IV

Five column-spacings:

 

Systylos

32.5:100 or 1:3

(opening : solid = 2:1)

V

Five column-spacings:

 

Pycnostylos

37:100 or 2:5

I

Five window-arrangements:

 

57:100 or 4:7

(opening : solid = 4:3)

II

Five window-arrangements:

 

49:100 or 2:4

(opening : solid = 1:1)

III

Five window-arrangements:

 

43:100 or 3:7

(opening : solid = 3:4)

IV

Five window-arrangements:

 

37:100 or 2:5

V

Five window-arrangements:

 

32.5:100 or 1:3

(opening : solid = 1:2)

Read more about ‘Scale 2 — The half space’

Practice An Abbey in Belgium Design Analysis Scale 2 — The half space

Read more about ‘Scale 3 — The wall’

Practice An Abbey in Sweden Design Analysis Scale 3 — The wall
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