_Of the Convenient Form of Buildings._
When we are assur'd of the Convenience of the place where the City is to
be Built, by the Knowledge we have of the goodness of the Air, of its
Fertility, Rivers and Ports, care must be taken to make Fortifications,
which do not only consist in the Solidity of the Walls and Ramparts, but
principally in their Form.
The Figure or Form of a place ought neither to be Square, nor Composed
of Angles too far advanc'd, but it must have a great number of Corners,
to the end the Enemy may be seen from all Parts; for the Angles that
are so far advanc'd, are ill to be defended, and more favourable to the
Besiegers than the Besieged. The Approach to the Walls must be made as
difficult as possible.
The most Convenient Form of Publick Places, is to have in their Breadth
2 Thirds of their Length; The _Greeks_ made about their Publick places
_Double Portico's_, with Pillars near together, which Supported the
Galleries above.
But the _Romans_ finding this great number of Pillars to be
inconvenient, placed them at a greater distance one from another, that
they might have Shops well lighted.
[Sidenote: _Lib. 5. Chap. 3._]
The Stair-Cases of all Publick Buildings, ought to be large and
streight, and to have many Entrances, to the End the People may come in
and out conveniently; but we shall speak of this more largely in another
place.
[Sidenote: _Lib. 5. Chap. 2._]
[Sidenote: _Lib. 6. Chap. 6._]
The Halls where great Assemblies are to meet, ought to have their
_Ceiling_ very high, and to give them their true Proportion, we must
unite the Length and Breadth, and give the half of the whole for the
height of the _Ceiling_. The Halls where the _Ceiling_ is not so high,
must have only their breadth, and half of their length for their height.
[Sidenote: _Lib. 5. Chap. 2._]
In vast and high places, to remedy the Inconvenience of the noisy Echo,
about the middle of the height of the Wall, must be made a _Cornish_
round about to break the course of the Voice; which without that,
beating against the Walls, would beat a Second time against the
_Ceiling_, and cause a troublesom double Echo.