CHOISEY TRANSPARENCY

A Choisey projection is one in which the observer is looking up at the interior of the building. It takes the floor plan, and projects with parallel lines the spacial interior. The basic beauty of Choisey is that a building’s interior volume, exterior mass, and cross section are synthesized into one drawing, one view.

Of all of the projection methods, Choisey certainly comes very close to Transparency. Or let us say that even though a Choisey projection, by definition, is drawn with opaque surfaces, it still creates a remarkable integration of the building.

(Left.) Fragment of a gallery vault at the Palatino, Rome from Auguste Choisy’s book, L’art de bâtir chez les Romains, published in Paris, 1873

And as we might expect, the use of a Choisey projection today is more of a novelty. You would have to look long and hard to find a Choisey projection in any recent architectural magazine.

RATIONALITY FIRST

Choisey was suspicious of the deceiving nature of the linear perspective. He extolled the rational and scientific while denigrating what he considered to be accepted projection systems.  Before Choisey, the standard drawing method was what typically was called the birds’ eye view. A Choisey projection is, as you might expect, typically called a worm’s eye view.

Taken very simplistically, Choisey’s innovation was to remove the floor and look up, rather than remove the roof and look down. Certainly for any isometric projection, the plan needs to be drawn first, and then you project up from that. In effect, Choisey at first uses the plan, and then makes it transparent. Possibly this juxtaposition and manipulation is what makes Choisey so relevant today, despite the centuries that have intervened.

And as always, any dissenting historical architectural voice such as his believed that their approach brings us closer to the truth. Everyone wants the truth!  And Choisey was no exception. In fact, he believed that his projection system gave the architect complete control by freeing him from fashion and aesthetics. And what is most interesting is that this very radical concept was achieved simply by drawing the drawings his way.

LeCorbusier is a touchstone for us in this study. His book L’Esprit Nouveau, contained many of Choisey’s drawings.  So Corb was hip to Choisey.  The watercolor at the top of the page is of LeCorbusier’s Ronchamp Chapel, photo below.  And it is not a true Choisey, as I have done a worm’s eye perspective, rather than worm’s eye axonometric view.  It is also not a true Choisey because I have drawn the elements transparently.

You should always feel free to mix and match drawing projection systems.  After doing this drawing, I finally understand how this incredibly plastic, organic and iconic building works.  Any drawing with a Choisey based projection automatically gives a significant level of transparency right off the bat.  Make a transparent Choisey, and you indeed may be drawing the ultimate.