March 09, 2006

Obscure Architectural Term of the Day!

Wow, it has been a while. Dumb ol' work. ANYway, today's word is:

VYSE. A spiral staircase or a staircase winding round a central column.

From the Penguin Dictionary of Architecture, Third Edition.

Hm, whaddya know. I always called them a spiral stair (which technically aren't spiral, but rather are helical).

Whatever--as to the actual looking-at of a vyse, here's one from the Villa Savoye, one of the icons of the International movement, designed by Le Corbusier and constructed circa 1928.

It's an interesting sort of building--the biggest shock being the surroundings. All the pictures I'd ever seen in school were of this ice cube looking thing on stilts in the middle of a big meadow. Not quite--it's got a big enough plot of land, but it sits nearby to a huge grim school of some sort.

It was instructive also in that it gave lie to the idea that all French women are tall, lean, sophisticated and lovely. The caretaker/prison matron/troll-under-the-bridge of the place was fascinatingly, repulsively horrid-looking, with all of the kind hospitality the French are known for and a voice with the pleasant undertone of two packs of Gitanes a day.

Anyway, stairways are cool.

Posted by Terry Oglesby at March 9, 2006 11:58 AM
Comments

Thatt town was also home to one of the main painters in the book I just finished—I think. Messonier was his name and he was very popular in the mid 1800's. [spelling might be just a guess]
I do love the building. If I ever get to France I want to see it. Also didn’t he do a neat chapel you also saw. Or am I thinking of one of those low country guys with lots of names.

Posted by: jim at March 9, 2006 12:45 PM

Yes, Notre Dame du Haut is one of his. I prefer greatly it to Villa Savoye.

Posted by: Terry Oglesby at March 9, 2006 12:50 PM

I know i need to see them in person but the images of this guys work strike a chord with me.

Posted by: jim at March 9, 2006 12:57 PM

His early stuff to me is a little too self-consciously in the I Must Make A Statement mode.

Posted by: Terry Oglesby at March 9, 2006 01:28 PM

And he did didn't he?

Posted by: jim at March 9, 2006 06:19 PM

Yes indeedy, although I still prefer the stuff that's got a bit more of the insane in it.

Posted by: Terry Oglesby at March 9, 2006 09:47 PM

Shall I assume that crimes involving such stairways are handled by the Vyse Squad?

Posted by: skinnydan at March 10, 2006 07:43 AM