Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, first edition - Volume I, A-B.pdf/441

 A R C II I T different times, has furpafled all other nations, both in tafte of defign, and workmadhip. The fize of the chinmey muft be regulated by the dimenlions of the room uhere it is placed. In the fmalleft apartments, the breadth of the aperture fhould never be lefs than three feet, to three feet fix inches. In rooms 24 to 27, from 4I to 5 ; and, in fuch as exceed thefe dimenfions, the aperture may even be extended to 54 or 6 feet. The chimney fhould always be fituate fo as to be immediately feen by thofe who enter the room. The middle of the partition wall is the moft proper place in halls, falons, and other rooms of paffage; but in drawingrooms, drefljng-rooms, and the like, the middle of the back wall is the bed fituation. In bed-rooms, the chimney is always in the middle of one of the partition-walls ; and in clofets, and other very fmall places, to fave room, it is put in a corner, Where-ever two chimneys are ufed in the fame room, they ftiould be placed either dire&ly facing each other, if in different walls,n or at equal diftances from the centre of the wall in which they both are. The proportion of the apertures of chimney-pieces of a moderate fize is generally a perfect fquare; in fmall ones, it is a trifie higher; and in large ones, a trifle lower. Their ornaments confift in architraves, frizes, cornices, columns, pilafters, terminlf caryatides, confoles, and all kinds of ornaments of fculpture, reprefenting animals and vegetables, tic. like wife vafes, chalices, trophies of arms, &c. In designing them, regard mull be had to the nature of the place where they are to be employed. Such as are intended for halls, falons, guard-rooms, galleries, and other large places, muft be compofed of large parts, few in number, of diflinift and limple forms, and having a bold relief; but chimney-pieces for drawing-rooms, drefting-rooms, &c. may be of a more delicate and complicated nature. Chimney-pieces are compofed of wood, ftone, or marble ; the laft of which ought to be preferred, as figures or profiles are beft reprefented in a pure white. Plate XXXIII. Fig. 1, 2, 2, and 4. are different de» figns for chimney-pieces by Palladio and Inigo Jones. Their proportion may be gathered from the defigns, which, ate accurately executed. OF THE PROPORTIONS OF ROOMS. The proportions of rooms depend in a great meafure on their ufe, and actual dimenfions: But, with regard to beauty, all figures, from a fquare to a fefquialteral, may be emioyed for the plan. The height of rooms depends- on their figure. Flat ceiled ones may be lower than thofe that are coved. If their plan be a fquare, their height Ihould not exceed five fixths of the fide, nor be lefs-than four fifths ; and when it is oblong, their height may be equal to their breadth. But coved rooms, if fquare, muft be as high as broad ; and whop oblong, they may have their height equal to their breadth, more one fifth, one quarter, or
 * 1) om 20 to 24 feet fquare, or of equal fuperficial dimenfions, it may be from 4 to 44- feet broad; in thofe of

E C T U R E. 359 even one third of the difference between the length and breadth: And galleries fhould at leaft be in height one and one third of their breadth, and at moft one and a half, or one and three fifths. The coldnefs the Britifti climate is a ftrong objedtion to high rooms; fp that it is not uncommon to fee the moft magnificent apartments not above ij, 16, or at moft 18 feet high ; though the extent of the rooms Would require a much more confiderable elevation. But, where beauty is aimed at, this piadlice ought not to be imitated. When rooms are adorned with an intire order, the entablature ftiould never exceed one fixth of the whole height in flat-ceiled rooms, and one fixth of the upright part in coved ones ; and when there are neither columns nor pilafters, but only an entablature, its height fnould not be above one feventh of thefe heights. If the rooms be finifhed with a fimple cornice,, it fhould never exceed one fourteenth, nor ever lefs than one fiftsenth part of the above-mentioned height, OF CEILINGS. Ceilings are either flat, or coved, in different manners. The fimpleft of the fiat kind are thofe adorned with large compartments, furrounded with one or feveral mouldings, either let into the ceiling, or projecting beyond its furface: And when the mouldings that form the compartments are enriched, and fome of the compartments adorned with well-executed ornaments, fuch ceilings have a good effedl, and are very proper for common dwelling-houfes, and all low apartments. Their ornaments and mouldings do not require a bold relief; but, being near the eye, they muft be finifhed with tafte and neatnefs. For higher rooms, a flat ceiling which has the appearance of being compofed of various joiftsframed into each other, and -forming compartments of various geometrical figures, fhould be employed. The fides of the joifts forming the compartments are generally adorned w ith mouldings, and reprefent either a fimple architrave, or an architrave-cornice, according to the fize of the compartments and the height of the room. Coved ceilings are more expenfive; but they are likewife more beautiful. They are ufed promifeuoufiy in large and fmall rooms, and occupy from one fifth to one third of the height of the room. If the room be low in proportion to its breadth, the cove muft likewife be low ; and when it is high, the cove muft be fo likeufife : By which means the excefs of the height will be renderedlefs perceptible. But, where the architea is at liberty to proportion the height of the room to its fuperficial di menfions, the moft eligible proportion for the cove is one fourth of the whole height. In parallelogram-figured, rooms, the middle of the ceiling is generally formed im» a large flat pannd. This pannel, with the border that, furrounds it, may occupy from one half to three fifths of the breadth of the room. The figure of the cove iscommonly either a quadrant of a circle or of an ellipfe, taking its rife .a little above the cornice, and finilhiog at the border round the great pannel in the centre. The. border projects fomev/hat beyond the coves on the outfide.