|
Among the most important French architects of the second half of the 18th century was Claude-Nicolas Ledoux. He built the château of Bénouville in Normandy for the Marquis de Livry, begun 1768. The blocked, closed building mass is articulated by a giant Ionic order, which consists of pilasters on the garden side and contrasts sharply with the ashlar masonry of the façades and the frameless window apertures. The columned portico with its crest is tied in horizontally by the continuous entablature and the tall attic floor.
Unusually, the stone staircase is located on the garden side. Its dome, designed with an oculus, represents remarkable ambitiousness, echoing great chateau staircases of the 17th century.
The photo shows the façade.
| 
