Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, first edition - Volume I, A-B.pdf/442

 ARCH I T E C T U II E. fide; and, on the fide towards the pannel, it is general.- The height of large fleps muft never be lefs than fix Jy made of a fufficient depth to admit the ornaments of an inches, nor more than feven inches and a half. The breadth of fleps fhould never be lefs than 10 architrave, or architrave and cornice. In Britain, circular rooms are not much in ufe; but inches, nor more than 18 inches ; and the length of them they are very beautiful. Their height mult be the fame not lefs than three feet, nor more than 12. with that of fquare rooms; their ceilings may be fiat ; Plate XXXIV. Fig. 1. A flair-cafe of two flights.— but they are handfomer when coved, or of a concave ^ fhews the manner of drawing the ramp, which is te rife equal to the height of the firft ftep of the next flight, form. y/rcs donbleaux, or foffits of arches, when narrow, and as much as its kneeling; as is fhewn by the ramp are ornamented with guillochis, or frets; but, when interfering the rail of the fecond flight. Fig. 2. Shews the flraight rail interfering a circubroad, they may be adorned in a different manner. When the profiles of the room are gilt, the ceilings lar cap. ought likwife to be gilt. The ufual method is to gild all Fig. 3. Serion of two different hand-rails. the ornaments, and to leave the grounds white, pearl co- Fig. 4. Shews the manner of dove-tailing the rifer lour, light blue, or of any other tint proper to fet off into the ftep. the gilding to advantage. Painted ceilings, fd common Plate XXXV. Fig. 1. Reprefents a flair-cafe, with flights, and its landing rail. in France and Italy, are but little ufed in Britain. Fig. 2. Shews the folid part of the flep out of which the fcroll is formed; where a reprefents the' overfail of OF STAIRS AND STAIR-CASES. the flep 4. Shews,the fcale for drawing the fcroll of fleps are made flraight; in others, winding; in others mixt fig.Fig.3.—To which, take the diflance from 1 to of both. Of ftraight flairs, fome fly dire&ly forward; the centre, inperform fig. 3. and fet it from 1 to the centre in Others are fquare; others triangular. Others are called French flights, or winding-flairs, (which in general are fig. 4.; divide that extent into three parts, then fet fuch parts on the upper fide of the fcale, and draw called fpiral or cockle-flairs); of which fome are fquare; four the line from 4 to x ; fet one foot of your compaffes at 4, fomethefe circular, or oval; ftrike the circular line ; let that be divided into 12 and againorareround; various;andforfome fomeelliptical, wind about a fo- and equal parts, and then draw lines from 4 through thofe lid, others about an open newel. Stairs mixt of llraight divifions to the upright line. and winding Heps are alfo of various kinds; fome are The fcale being thus made, draw the fcroll of fig. 3. called dog-legged; fome there are that wind about a by it in the following folid newel ; and others that fly about a fquare open Set one foot of yourmanner. compaffes in 1, and defcribe a newel. take the fame diftance, and with one foot Great care ought to be taken in placing of the flair- flrokeatc; in 2, crofs the ftroke at c; then from c, turn the part cafe in any building; and therefore flair-cafes ought to from 1 to 2, and proceed in the fame manner ; for if be defcribed, and accounted'for juflly, when the plan of the diftance in the fcale from 1 to the centre* a building is made. For want of this, fometimes unpar- it would ftrikewerethetaken too flat; and if taken from 2, donable errors have been committed: Such as having a it would ftrike the circle too quick. little blind flair-cafe to a large houfe; or, on the other When this is wellcircle underftood, will be little dif- hand, to have a large fpacious flair-cafe to a little one. ficulty in drawing the fcroll belowthere fig. 2.; which throws Palladio fays, in placing flair-cafes, the utmofl care out farther in proportion than that In fig. 3.; for ought to be taken, it being difficult to find a place con- ‘itfelf this will always be the cafe when the upper line of the venient for them, that will not at the fame time preju- fcale, which confifts of four divifions in fig. 4. is made but dice the refl of the building. But commonly the flairs with three or lefs ; whence it appears, that the are placed in the angle, wing, or middle of the front. tipper line ofdivifions the fcale may be drawn at v/hat length you To every flair-cafe are required three openings. pleafe, according as you would bring in or keep out the Fir ft, the door leading thereto. Secondly, the window, or windows, that give light fcroll. Plate XXXVI. Shews the manner of fquaring twiftto it; rails. And, thirdly, the landing. 2. Exhibits the pitch-board, to ffiew what part Firft, the door leading to a flair-cafe fhould be fo pla- of Fig. ftep the twilled part of the rail contains; the ced, that moil of the building may be feen before you threethedoted drawn from the rail to the pitch-board come at the flairs, and in fuch a manner that it may be reprefent thelines width of the rail, which is to be kept level. eafy for any perfon to find out. doted lines a and b Ihew how much half the width Secondly, for the windows; if there be but one, it The mull be placed in the middle of the flair-cafe, that there- of the rail turns up from its firft beginning to 3. Fig. 3. Shews the fame pitch-board, with the manby the whole may be enlightened. of the rail’s turning up. Ifthefid.es of the twilled Thirdly, the landing of flairs fhould be large and fpa- ner part of the rail be lhaped by the rail-mould, fo that they ciaus, for the convenientxntering into rooms : In a word, direcft down to its ground-plan, that is, the upper fideof ftair-cafes fhould be fpacious, light, and eafy in afcent.
 * b, The thicknefs of the bracket, with its miThere are many kinds of flair-cafes ; for in fome the tring to the rifer’, and, c. The firing-board.