Plate XXII. Elliptical Plans

Plate XXII. — Except for isolated buildings of large dimensions, this is of rare occurrence in external architecture, the Romans, as far as is known, having confined its application to the amphitheatre. Nevertheless, Serlio, when discussing “divers forms of temples” illustrates an elliptical plan which he describes as next to be preferred to the more perfect circle, and he gives a plan and section for a temple of this form without peristyle and covered by a dome.

The arc of the ellipse changes its direction at different points in the circumference and unless the scale is sufficiently large to enable the eye to grasp and make allowance for the elliptical plan, as in the amphitheatres of the Romans and in great modern buildings, such as the Albert Hall, London, an effect of distortion is produced. The simpler circular plan seems for that reason to possess advantages for external use which have been realised at all periods, perspective inducing effects of elliptical curvature in a circular plan without loss of continuity in the curve of horizontal lines.

Internally the position is different, for the whole form of an apartment can be appreciated at a glance, and the subtle curvature of the ellipse offers great possibilities both on a large and on a small scale. The French architects of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, in particular, developed this type of plan in rooms, vestibules and staircases, and their example has been freely followed in England, while not a few notable late Renaissance churches in Italy have elliptical interiors. It is interesting to note, however, that whereas Philibert de l’Orme included great elliptical assembly halls in his plan for the Tuilleries, Paris, Inigo Jones was content to rely upon the circle for the courtyards in his design for the Palace of Whitehall.

Beautiful as are the effects of an elliptical interior, the Pantheon, Rome, and other circular buildings of the largest size show that the simple unbroken horizontal lines within a purely circular building can hardly be improved upon.

On Plate XXII several examples of elliptical plans have been selected to illustrate the theory of the use of this plan form in conjunction with rectangular features in the same way as previously described for the circle and the square (Plate XIV). The advantage of the ellipse for internal use is that it enables a curved apartment to be introduced sympathetic to the lateral axis in positions where it would not be possible to introduce a full circle. Further, it is obvious that where greater length than breadth is desired and the retention of a curved form is a sine qua non the ellipse has many advantages. As experimented with by French and Italian architects, the ellipse introduces a new element of fancy which is both ingenious and refreshing.