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

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.

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