Marc-Antoine Laugier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marc-Antoine Laugier
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| Born | January 22, 1713 |
| Died | 5 April 1769 (aged 55–56) |
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Notable work
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Essay on Architecture |
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Main interests
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History, Architecture |
Marc-Antoine Laugier (born January 22, 1713, in Manosque, Provence, France – died April 5, 1769, in Paris) was a French priest and a deep thinker about architecture. He was first a Jesuit priest until 1755, then became a Benedictine monk. Many people see him as one of the first modern thinkers in architecture.
Contents
Marc-Antoine Laugier's Ideas on Architecture
Laugier is most famous for his book, Essay on Architecture, which came out in 1753. A second edition was published in 1755. This later edition included a well-known drawing of a "primitive hut". This hut showed his idea of the simplest, most natural form of building.
What Laugier Thought Was Wrong
In his book, Laugier talked about things he saw as "faults" or mistakes in how buildings were designed during and after the Renaissance. He focused on parts like columns, the entablature (the part above columns), and pediments (the triangular part above a building's entrance).
Columns: Standing Free and Tall
Laugier believed columns should be free and not stuck inside walls. He thought that when columns were built into a wall, it took away from their beauty. He also disliked pilasters, which are flat, rectangular columns that stick out from a wall. He felt real, round columns should be used instead.
He also pointed out issues with the shape of columns. Columns should have a slight bulge in the middle, called entasis, to look straight. If this was done incorrectly, it made the column look odd. Lastly, he thought placing columns on pedestals (blocks at the bottom) was a strange design. He compared it to adding a second set of legs below someone's first pair.
More Architectural Thoughts
Laugier's Essay on Architecture also shared his ideas on other important topics. He wrote about how strong buildings should be and the different styles or "orders" of architecture. He also gave advice on how to construct various types of buildings.
Laugier's Other Work
Besides architecture, Marc-Antoine Laugier was also involved in music. He helped create the first French music magazine. It was called Sentiment d'un harmonophile sur différents ouvrages de musique. He worked on this magazine with a journalist named Antoine de Léris and another abbot, Antoine Jacques Labbet.
