La Maison du directeur [Pl. 56-64]

Introduction Claude-Nicolas Ledoux (1736-1806) was a visionary, great builder, urban planner, draftsman, philosopher, and poet of architectural theory, who dominated the French art scene from 1804 until his death. Among his many works, one of the most well-known is "La Salina di Chaux" (1773-1778), which, with its original characteristics, breaks away from the concept of academic representation, giving rise to his personal idea of character. This vision is reflected in the large pillars of "La Maison du Directeur," placed at the center of the complex, which disrupts classical tradition by creating the modern temple, a spatial and architectural symbol of the control the director exercises over the saltworks' manufacturing activity. Study of the Drawings The drawings used for the case study "La Maison du Directeur" were taken from the volume "L’architecture considérée sous le rapport de l’art, des moeurs et de la législation," on pages 56-64. Starting from Ledoux's original designs, once scaled according to the toises (194.9 cm) and foot (32.48 cm = ⅙ toises) metrics, and submodules created for these, a study was conducted to identify the modules and generative axes. It was found that the building is symmetrical with respect to the horizontal axis, with a length of 19.5 toises and a width of 13 toises. The openings on the first two floors are also symmetrical on both sides of the building, with a ground floor width of 4.5 feet and a height of 8 feet, while on the first floor, the width is 3.5 feet and the height is 7 feet. The building also features many vertical connections, which were unclear from the drawing, so a module was needed to create them, equivalent to 32.48 toises for the tread, while the rise height varies depending on the number of steps. The plan also included pilasters and external and internal columns. For the internal columns, a module of 1.5 feet was found for the diameter and a height of 11 feet, while the external columns were incorrect in the plan, as the diameter section of the element does not correspond to the one in the elevation, as they are tapered. Therefore, it was deemed more appropriate to use the elevation, finding for both the columns and pilasters a module A of 3.5 feet for the diameter and a height of 7 module A's, with an intercolumnar distance of 3 module A's. The plan also presented walls of different sizes, which were all standardized to a single measure of 2 feet, except for some very thin walls of ⅔ foot. The original drawings only presented two elevations, so by observing the plan and its symmetry between sides, the remaining elevations were made identical to those in the original plates, with the exception of the omission of the pediment in the rear elevation, which is only present in the main façade. Additionally, the original design shows discontinuities between plans, elevations, sections, and perspective. The perspective includes a portico that is not represented in the remaining drawings (plans, elevations, sections), so it was decided not to include it, along with a series of openings on the top floor of the building, which appear to be closed off in the sections. The building also features some friezes, vaults, arches, and domes that are not clearly defined, so the study of these elements relied on Palladio's "The Four Books of Architecture" and frontal lessons in class. The friezes follow the module of the foot or its submultiples, that is, the division of it by 12. Furthermore, the arches on the top floor differ between the two sections: in the first, the arch is open, while in the other, it is closed off; it was decided to keep them open to allow more light to flow in. The basement showed an irregularity between the plan and sections: in the section, part of the foundation was covered by soil despite the absence of a closing wall, while in the plan, this was not apparent. Consequently, a layer of compacted earth was created to make the entire basement usable. At the center of the building on the first floor, a monumental staircase rises, whose connection to the lower floor is through two lateral service stairs. This connection, visible in the section, was deemed unfeasible, so two lateral walls were built next to the service staircase, cutting off the first steps of the main staircase. The building is composed of two roofs: an upper one covering the drum of the building and a lower roof, which is unfeasible because there is no consistency between the elevations. Therefore, a sloping roof was created, following the building's plan, with two symmetrical openings on the building's sides to allow light into the main room, as visible in the section. The section also reveals a domed structure above the vault, likely due to Ledoux's intention to make the vault open to let light into the room through the windows on the top floor. Since it was decided not to follow the perspective, as mentioned earlier, the windows are closed off, eliminating the need to open the vault and consequently removing the domed structure above it.