1. Abbe Marc-Antoine Laugier 1713-1769
Born January 22, 1713 in Manosque, Provence
Family of upper-class bourgeoisie
Studied at ages at college at Avignon
to become a Jesuit priest, then on to Lyons, Province.
Participated in public education with the Jesuits
Developed interest in architecture and began
discovering buildings on his own.
Spoke publicly to the king and his consorts
regarding religious and political problems
Wrote the Essai. Easy for people to read and understand.
Became “l’Abbe Laugier” by appeal and worked on his own
Worked with embassy and devoted his time to writing
Wrote Essai sur l'architecture (1753) among others including: Observations sur l’architecture, Venetian history, Peace of Belgrade, Art criticism, History of troubadours, Commerce of the Levant, History of Malta, History of the Popes.
Died April 5, 1769 in Paris, France

2. The Enlightenment (The Age of Reason): 1680s to 1790s
International, intellectual movement likely beginning with the political, economical, moral and religious struggles in Britain and France.
Believed in reason (science and thinking), rather than faith or tradition: The Rationalist movement
The Enlightenment’s Creed: “Sapere aude!” (“Dare to know!)
Enlightenment is man’s release from his self-incurred tutelage. Tutelage is man’s inability to make use of his understanding without direction from another.” Immanuel Kant, 1784
Denis Diderot
Immanuel Kant
Voltaire
Jean-Jacques Rosseau
“…it is above all important to think.” -Laugier

3. Essay on Architecture Chapter I: General Principles of Architecture
Article I: The Column
Article II: The Entablature
Article III: The Pediment
Article IV: The Different Stories of a Building
Article V: Windows and Doors
Chapter III: Observations on the Art of Building
Article I: On the Solidity of Buildings
Article II: On Convenience
Article III: On How to Observe Bienseance in Buildings
Chapter IV: On the Style in Which to Build Churches
Chapter V: On the Embellishment of Towns
Article I: On Entries of Towns
Article II: On the Layout of Streets
Article III: On the Decoration of Buildings
Chapter II: The Different Architectural Orders
Article I: What All Orders Have in Common
Article II: The Doric Order
Article III: The Ionic Order
Article IV: The Corinthian Order
Article V: The Different Kinds of Composite
Article VI: How to Enrich the Various Orders
Article VII: On Buildings without any Orders
Chapter VI: On the Embellishment of Gardens

4. Chapter I: General Principles of Architecture
Founded on simple nature. Nature indicates its rules.
Example: The Primitive Hut
Tells story of primitive man seeking shelter and building out of necessity.
What this man built became the basis for all architecture
The Hut is made of the following architectural elements:
The column
The entablature
The pediment

5. Chapter I: General Principles of Architecture The Primitive Hut
Architecture was founded on simple nature.
Laugier wanted a "more rigorous" understanding of architecture and ornament: look for precedents for classical architecture at the absolute roots of history.
He searched for absolute beauty, which in his primitive hut came from nature.
Was rooted in functional or structural basis. (This theory was the basis of the so-called Rationalist movement.)
Little basis in archeology or fact, and tangental basis in historical text

6. The Primitive Hut
Like Vitruvius, Laugier places the origins of architectural forms in nature: the first dwelling was built in the forest, with branches and trees.
This differs from the previous theories of Vitruvius in one important aspect: the hut is an abstract concept as much as it is a material construction.
The Primitive Hut represents the first architectural idea.
Shows beginnings of an understanding of column, entablature, and pediments. Future architecture is based on these principles.

7. Article I: The Column Columns must: The faults:
Be strictly perpendicular to the ground
Be free-standing, to be expressed in a natural way
Be round, because nature makes nothing square
Be tapered from bottom to top in imitation of plants in nature
Rest directly on the floor
The faults:
“Being engaged in the wall” is a fault because it detracts from the overall beauty and aesthetic nature of columns.
The use of pilasters should strictly be frowned upon especially since in nearly every case columns could be used instead.
Setting columns upon pedestals is “like adding a second set of legs beneath the first pair.”

8. Article II: The Entablature
The Entablature must:
always rest on its columns like a lintel
In its whole length it must not have any corner or projection
The Faults:
Instead of a beam-like structure it becomes an arch
Against nature because:
require massive piers and imposts
They become pilasters
Force columns to give lateral support; columns are meant to give vertical support only.
Not straight, but broken with angles and projections
Why? “Never put anything into a building for which one cannot give a sound reason.” Nature is so, buildings should also be.

9. Article III: The Pediment
The Pediment must:
represent the gable of the roof
never be anywhere except across the width of a building.
be above the entablature
The faults:
To erect the pediment on the long side of a building.
To make non-triangular pediments
Should not be curved, broken nor scrolled
To pile pediments on top of each other

10. Chapter II: The Different Architectural Orders
The Doric Order (in columns):
Has the most beautiful base, but is difficult to use:
Doric columns can never be coupled successfully
Interior angles become difficult because of the bases and capitals must penetrate each other
The Ionic Order:
Almost faultless, lighter and more delicate than the Doric
The column suffers because nature dictates that the heaviest part must always be at the bottom, but the Ionic column is heavy at top
The base is ill-formed and could be eliminated
Offends against the true principles of nature
The Corinthian Order:
The greatest, most majestic order
Beautiful, harmonious composition
Architects should stop using anything by the acanthus leaf which “has by nature the contour and curves which suit the leaves of the Corinthian capital.”

11. Chapter III: Observations on the Art of Building (Laugier’s Commodity, Firmness and Delight)
Article I: On the Solidity of Buildings
Building must be solid for long life, much like the ancients did
Solidity depends on two things: Choice of material and its efficient use
Article II: On Convenience
The situation (site) must be considered to include views and ventilation
The planning (exterior and interior) must be suitable, comfortable, have good circulation, and always include a courtyard
The internal communications (servants halls, stairways, etc) must be located for quick access
Article III: On How to Observe Bienseance in Buildings
A building must be neither more nor less magnificent than is appropriate to its purpose
“Beauty of buildings depends on three things: accuracy of proportions, elegance of forms, and choice and distribution of ornaments.”