Enfilade of empty rooms. The evolution of isolation
The Hermitage is one of the largest art museums in the world, the exposition of which is located in more than 350 rooms located in several buildings.
It includes the Big (or Old Hermitage), the Winter Palace, the New Hermitage, the Small Hermitage and the Hermitage Theatre. And those are just the main buildings.
The ceremonial interiors of palaces occupy a special place in the planning of the Hermitage.
View of the Palace Square and the Winter Palace from under the arch of the main headquarters 
Winter Palace
In the huge complex of buildings of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, I want to show only one of the components of its architectural richness .
These are enfilades and galleries of halls.
Anfilade is a series of rooms located one behind the other, the doorways of which are located on the same axis. The enfilade arrangement of rooms is most often found in palace-type buildings. The house with a suite of front rooms, with hospitably open doors allows you to see a chain of rooms that go into perspective. During the baroque and classicism, the principle of enfilade placement of front rooms or halls was dominant in the layout of the house..
There are countless examples. But in the Hermitage, one of the main and largest museum complexes in Russia, the enfilades are distinguished by their special magnificence.
Winter Palace from the Neva
Here are just a few examples of these ceremonial halls with their lined front doors, which give great effect to the whole layout of the palaces. A perspective of halls is created, as if stretching into boundless distances.
Big Hermitage. Enfilade of rooms of Italian art
Big Hermitage. Enfilade of rooms and offices
Loggia Raphael. Room for copies of frescoes by Raphael from the Vatican Palace.
The gallery was opened for viewing in 1792. Architect G. Quarenghi
New Hermitage. Upper vestibule and front staircase.
The halls of the New Hermitage opened to visitors in 1852. The gallery of the upper vestibule surrounding the stairs is decorated with sixteen columns of Finnish granite.
New Hermitage. Hall of twenty.
Twenty columns of the hall are made of Serdobol granite. Metal ceiling with polychrome painting. The floor is mosaic, the work of the Peterhof factory.
In all these photographs, there are perspectives of the halls located in one line.
Or galleries and columns in the same room, also going into perspective.
A similar technique for constructing a building plan creates a certain illusion of space.
The enfilades, halls with columns and galleries that go into perspective seem much longer than they really are.
Particularly interesting is the technique of enfilade construction of premises, compositionally connected by the axis of doorways. A reception that received a royal start in the palaces of St. Petersburg, and then picked up in hundreds of noble houses throughout the Russian Empire. In both capitals, in provincial centers, and in hundreds of mansions across the country. In Moscow Empire mansions, an enfilade was also actively used, even consisting of only three small rooms.
But the enfilades of palaces in St. Petersburg, created in the times of baroque and classicism, are large-scale works of architecture that will always amaze our imagination.
Nikolaevsky Petersburg was not like Alexandrovsky, more like a grandiose construction site with a kingdom of fences that surrounded the buildings. Now, under Nicholas I, these buildings were not only completed, but with might and main shone with their eternal beauty. The architect Carl Rossi built almost nothing. In 1832, aged and ill early, he asked for leave to retire and did not touch a pencil until his death in 1849. It seemed that he exhausted himself to the bottom early, throwing all his brilliant energy at once into the streets and squares of St. Petersburg and, devastated, froze in anticipation of death. By 1832, he completed not only the triumphal ensemble of the General Staff, but also much more. He created a completely new, unexpectedly majestic and at the same time chamber ensemble of the Alexandrinsky Theater Square. Both from the ground and from a bird's eye view, this ensemble still surprises with the harmony of the most diverse volumes.
Alexandrinsky Theatre. 1830s
At the same time, the eye notices the graceful pavilions of the Anichkov Garden, lanterns, lattices - all this is combined into a single, unique architectural melody, in which every note is in its place. Such a feeling of delight in front of the creations of Rossi was experienced by people when they saw the grandiose, like the Parthenon, the Mikhailovsky Palace and the Senate and Synod buildings connected by an arch, resembling an architectural “organ” with dozens of their columns. And this time Rossi showed himself to be a great master of boring symmetry and harmony. He managed to complete the most difficult task of Nicholas I - to create for the two highest institutions of the empire a building comparable in size and decoration to the Admiralty that stood opposite the Senate and Synod. With the genius of Rossi, all these three structures closed into a single ensemble of Senate Square, along with the Horse Guards arena, the boulevard and the Bronze Horseman in the middle.
Not far from this latest masterpiece, Rossi launched his competitor, Auguste Montferrand. Admiralteyskaya Square became his "field". Here he, sometimes distracted by other orders, built for almost half a century. First, he erected a majestic building with three facades - the Lobanov-Rostovsky house. At the same time, Montferrand undertook a risky business - the restructuring of St. Isaac's Cathedral. It was as if the building was enchanted. Since the end of the 1760s, Rinaldi, then Brenna, could not finish it. Montferrand was more fortunate. He managed to finish the cathedral just before his death in 1858. And he began this work in 1818, that is, he erected a titanic structure for 40 years!
E. A. Plushar. Portrait of the architect Ricard de Montferrand
This column, dedicated to Alexander I, became the "last point" in the work of several generations of architects who decorated the front center of St. Petersburg. It is important that the overall result of their work was not just "building", but a unique ensemble of ensembles. Indeed: magnificent buildings stand around the squares, which, in turn, merge with the space of the Neva. "Water" (and in winter "ice") square, created by nature itself between the Peter and Paul Fortress, the spit of Vasilyevsky Island and the Winter Palace, smoothly flows into a string of man-made squares. Palace, Admiralteyskaya (now Admiralteysky Prospekt and Alexander Garden), Senate (now Dekabristov), as well as Birzhevaya Square and the Field of Mars form a majestic complex of open urban spaces demonstrating the unity of the creations of nature and man. It is known that the idea of a "enfilade" of squares along the Neva was already laid down in the plans of the architectural commission of 1762, but it was realized only in the Nikolaev era. These squares are merged together by their history and architectural design, while they are not similar to each other. Palace Square, pulled together by an elastic arc of the General Staff building, is, as it were, folded into a kind of funnel around the Alexander Column. Admiralteyskaya Square, even before it split into a avenue and a city garden, was a grandiose parade ground on which the entire Russian guard lined up on solemn days. The coolness of the Neva and the bitter memory of fratricide in December 1825 lives next to Admiralteyskaya Senate Square, and behind the creation of Montferrand is St.
marginal notes
In general, the Frenchman Montferrand was not only an outstanding architect, but also a remarkable engineer. When the entire royal family arrived at the installation of the first column of Isaac on March 20, 1828, they did not have to wait long. The rise of the huge column took only 45 minutes, 5 minutes longer than the rise of the famous Tsar Bell from the pit in the Kremlin, which was cast, but they could not pull it out of the pit to Montferrand for almost 100 years. And the unsurpassed engineering feat of the architect was the hoisting of the Alexandria Pillar on Palace Square. On May 30, 1832, ten thousand citizens gathered around the place of ascent together with Nicholas I. All of them saw how, with the help of ingenious devices, a column weighing 650 tons and almost 50 meters high was lifted and installed in 100 minutes! A real world engineering record!
In 1839, the Frenchman A. Custin, accustomed to the cramped comfort of Paris, the enfilade of these squares seemed like a wasteland surrounded by rare buildings. For a Russian person, the chain of these squares is an architectural symbol of an entire era of the great empire with its vast vast expanses. These squares meant and still mean a lot to the heart of every Petersburger. Here and now one can feel the slow and inevitable movement of time and at the same time the elusiveness of every moment. In the inextricable fusion of architecture and nature, in an amazing combination of subtle northern colors and shades, there is its own depth, clarity and watercolor elegance.
The heart of St. Petersburg was the Admiralty side. At that time, unusually talented people gathered here, lived side by side, sat in the same salons and pastry shops, argued, made friends, quarreled: A. S. Pushkin, N. V. Gogol, M. I. Glinka, V. A. Zhukovsky, and A. Krylov, V. A. Tropinin, P. A. Vyazemsky, V. F. Odoevsky and many others. Almost all of them singly and in groups could be seen on Nevsky Prospekt.
Living room. Leather armchair, Brocantique. Next to it is the Cicognino round table, designed by Franco Albini for Cassina. In the center is a Trinity table, Baxter. By the window is a Button table, B&B Italia, and a Bulb table lamp, Ingo Mauer. Raffles sofa and armchair, designed by Vico Magistretti for De Padova. Floor lamp Gräshoppa, Gubi. Chandelier Nimba, Santa & Cole. marble fireplace portal (1.8 x 2.7 m), 17th century.
“There are three elements to a project's success: the right location, a good budget, and a wise client,” says the architect. - The owner of this house near Moscow is just like that. He was not afraid of the fact that I basically do not do interior renderings, since I consider this activity completely pointless. The customer easily read drawings, sections and plans, although, according to my statistics, ten percent of people have this ability, the rest are just pretending. And if the client’s first ideas about the beauty of the interior were reduced to heavy classics, stucco and crystal, then after a couple of months he was well versed in modern design, enthusiastically discussed with me the radius of the transition from the wall to the ceiling, and without any renderings he understood that this technique creates an effect air dome and at times increases the volume of rooms.
Fragment of the living room. Guéridon table, design by Jean Prouvé, Vitra. Pipistrello table lamp, designed by Gae Aulenti for Martinelli Luce. Myworld sofa, designed by Philippe Starck for Cassina. Bronze and onyx wall lamp, designed by Lazzaro Raboni.Photo: GIORGIO POSSENTI
The house with a total area of about two thousand meters is located on a forest plot surrounded by large trees. The enfilade layout helped fill the rooms with light. Hinged, as in old estates, the doors in some rooms are made retractable. The classical principles of symmetry are also solved in a modern manner. If on one side of the fireplace in the dining room there is a door, then on the other - its counterpart in the form of a blind opening lined with a mirror. The same solution was used in the design of the stairs, where one round hole is a through opening into the corridor, and the second is again a mirror. Soft lighting of the living room is created by arched windows that echo the smooth lines of lamps and ceiling cornices, and curtains made of thin linen, which the owner brought from Latvia.
Canteen. A sliding door to the right of a 19th century French fireplace leads into the living room. On the left is a mirrored opening of the same shape as the door. Above the fireplace - the work of Grigory Maiofis. Walnut cabinet, 19th century, Officina Antiquaria. AJ Royal floor lamp, designed by Arne Jacobsen, Santa & Cole. The walnut sconce and dining table were designed by architect Lazzaro Raboni. Skygarden pendant lights, designed by Marcel Wanders for Flos. Neve chairs, designed by Piero Lissoni for Porro. Grandfather clock, antique. Fireplace portal in Carrara marble, late 19th century. Curtains purchased by the customer made of thin Latvian linen provide soft diffused light.Photo: GIORGIO POSSENTI
The stair railings were designed by the architect Lazzaro Raboni. Circles on the wall, one of which is an open opening to the corridor, and the other is a mirror, create an interesting game with space. A similar technique is used in the interior of the living room. Chandelier, Henge. Wall paint, Farrow & Ball.Photo: GIORGIO POSSENTI
“The parquet in all rooms is the same, and fifteen complex shades of gray are used in the decoration of walls and ceilings, which are perceived by the eye as a single shell-cocoon,” continues Lazzaro Raboni. “This created a versatile backdrop that can absorb like a sponge objects of different times and styles, making the mix of modern design, vintage and antique furniture look tactful and soft. The cold color scheme is additionally softened by smooth architectural forms and arched openings and windows consonant with them.
A well-equipped music studio on the second floor is a tribute to the owner's hobbies. The acoustic walnut wall is adorned with a collection of autographs from great musicians. Vintage console for musical equipment bought in America. It is known that only a thousand copies of these were produced, and the first one was purchased by Frank Sinatra.Photo: GIORGIO POSSENTI
Cabinet. Desk and shelving Bourgeois from Baxter. Lobby armchair, designed by Charles and Ray Eames, Vitra. Do With floor lamp, designed by Carlo Colombo, Oluce. Table lamp, vintage.Photo: GIORGIO POSSENTI
Fifteen shades of gray are perceived as a single background thanks to the play of chiaroscuro
At the request of the owner, the main private rooms are located on the ground floor. The rooms pass one into another according to the enfilade principle and have side exits to a long corridor-gallery. Moreover, the enfilade layout is used not only in the combination of the living room-dining room-kitchen. Front sliding doors lead from the bedroom to the bathroom, which is designed as a full-fledged room with a chandelier and upholstered furniture.
The master bedroom is located on the first floor. Ermes bed, designed by Rodolfo Dordoni for Flou. Nightstands Sama, Flou. Track banquette, designed by David López Kincoses, Living Divani. Bra, Gubi. A laconic gypsum cornice in the form of a rounded transition from the wall to the ceiling with a radius of 55 cm creates the effect of an air dome and visually increases the volume of the room.Photo: GIORGIO POSSENTI
Owner's bathroom. Zeppelin ceiling lamp, designed by Marcel Wanders for Flos. Cicognino black coffee table, designed by Franco Albini for Cassina. Armchairs, vintage, Officina Antiquaria gallery. Sliding doors are painted with lacquered enamel with patina effect.Photo: GIORGIO POSSENTI
The scale of the living room is set by a huge, human-sized fireplace made of red marble. “A luxurious fireplace portal from the end of the 17th century was found in Italy,” says the architect. - But since the size - 1.8 by 2.7 meters, seemed downright defiant and required a supply of firewood from "half Siberia", I decided to reduce its proportions and the size of the firebox. To do this, he built an internal portal made of black marble into the fireplace and connected the whole composition with a floor slab made of solid stone.
Antique fireplaces add history and cosiness to a modern homeCabinet fragment. The architect added a vintage brass fireplace portal with a plinth and a floor panel made of the same metal. On the wall - the work of Grigory Maiofis. Wall paint, Farrow & Ball.
Photo: GIORGIO POSSENTI
Many details of the interior - a walnut dining table, all sconces, stair railings, door fittings and even curtain rods - are made according to the architect's drawings. “This is the very reason why I find it pointless to make 3D renderings of interiors in the first phase of a project,” Lazzaro notes. - If you want to do well, it is impossible to foresee everything in advance. Work on this house was carried out for four years, during which, as I said, the customer changed his ideas about the ideal house. He has come a long way from traditional classics to modern design classics, and something tells me that he is on the right track ... "
Detail of the master bedroom. Armchair and secretary, vintage.Photo: GIORGIO POSSENTI
An enfilade is a series of rooms adjacent to each other, the doorways of which are on the same axis. In terms of design, this is one of the best architectural techniques.
A bit of history
Arranging rooms in this way began in the era of classicism. Moreover, the enfilade principle was encountered not only indoors, but also in the prospect of designing the streets of entire cities.
Today, the best examples of cross-cutting planning are presented in palaces. So, for example, in the Winter Palace all rooms are designed according to this principle.
According to the architects' ideas, being outside the building, it was impossible to understand the interior layout of the room.
Types of enfilade
Lateral
The axis of the doorways is shifted from the center of the room closer to the windows. It happens that the doors are located very close to the end wall. And if the rooms are large, there are still two meters to the outer wall. Typically, a similar technique was used to create an unusual play of light in a room.
Central
The openings are located exactly in the middle and divide the rooms in half. To implement such a layout, the premises must be placed on the central axis and be either the same in size or proportional.
Double
All openings are duplicated by paired ones located on the inner axis of the rooms. Used when some rooms are longer than others.
If one of the rooms turned out to be inappropriate depth for organizing a suite, it can be brought to the desired proportions using an alcove or bay window.
Why are enfilades convenient?
To appreciate the convenience of enfilades on a true scale is possible only when studying old palaces or estates. Although in practice it can be organized in any house where there is an uninterrupted line of windows. Such a layout is attractive both from an aesthetic point of view and from a practical one.
When the layout of a house or apartment is being developed, it is worth discussing with the designer the possibility of organizing an enfilade for:
- Acceleration of movements inside the house. In complex architectural forms, narrow dark corridors, passages, lobbies, and halls often appear. Enfilades allow you to refuse them and reduce the time of moving from one room to another.
- Increasing the level of natural light. There will always be windows on the right or left in the room, the residents will not experience a lack of sunlight.
- Visual increase in area. With the enfilade principle of planning, the possibilities of using rooms expand. With an enfilade, you can jointly take into account the volume of several rooms at the same time, because from any point you see not 1-2 windows, but 4-6 at once. If the rooms are completely isolated from each other, the areas are also perceived separately.
Where can you implement an enfilade layout?
In historical houses, there are never any problems with the organization of the enfilade, sometimes it is already there. In modern houses and apartments, the situation is complicated by a large number of load-bearing walls (not to mention the curved line of the facade). Today, the ability to plan rooms according to the enfilade principle is becoming an indicator of quality construction.
To hide imperfections in building materials or architectural inaccuracies, designers linearly complicate building plans. Indeed, in practice, it is much more difficult to build a rectangular apartment than a strange broken-shaped room with many load-bearing walls.
In general, an enfilade can be created in any apartment where there are at least three rooms. A series of openings connecting the living room or salon, bedroom and nursery looks quite impressive. The size of the apartment does not matter. It is enough just to focus on its geometry to select the best option for an enfilade:
- with a fully load-bearing wall (as, for example, in the P-44 house), a side wall will do;
- in the presence of a pylon at the window - the central one.
In fact, it is possible to implement such a principle in a tiny kopeck piece, provided that the premises are properly shaped.
As for private houses, the simpler their geometry, the more opportunities for creating enfilades. Whether to use such a solution on each floor, everyone decides according to the situation. For example, if all front rooms are located on the first level, then the enfilade there may be through. At the same time, on the second one, one can limit oneself to short enfilades divided into residential blocks: children's, parental, etc. Full mirroring of the premises here is not a mandatory principle.
How to mitigate possible inconvenience?
It is not necessary to conduct an enfilade through all available rooms, if this does not seem quite convenient. The best option would be a suite for private rooms. In this case, combine enough rooms in the following order: study, bedroom, dressing room, bathroom.
Many people fear the lack of isolation of rooms, but in vain. This is especially true of the dining room and living room or living room and office, which do not need to be separated at all. In any case, the enfilade can always be interrupted by closing one door and organizing the entrance to the room through another.
If you want to isolate the furthest room, you can end the suite not with a doorway, but with an inner window into this very last room. Thus, the principle of movement into the light will be observed.
In addition, apartments after redevelopment are likely to have small additional passages that can be used to duplicate passages. And if it is uncomfortable to constantly pass through the suite, you can provide for darker walk-through rooms that are responsible for the message. It can be dressing rooms or just narrow corridors.
There is no strict requirement for redundant corridors. They were present in the palaces, but they were so narrow that it was inconvenient for many people to move around them.
What to pay special attention to?
- On the principle of connecting rooms. Remember, the enfilade must close. However, this does not mean that its presence requires the complete absence of other doors. In the end part it is allowed to make as many openings as you like.
- For door decoration. Choose doors in the same style with the same trim and door leafs. Although in the front room the opening can be larger and wider.
Do not be afraid to implement non-standard solutions to create an ideal interior for living.
Before becoming an architectural term, the word enfiler was used by jewelers. It meant "to string objects on a string", that is, to make beads. Accordingly, enfilade - "that which is strung". Over time, this word completely disappeared from the everyday life of jewelers, and now it has two meanings in French - “a series of spatial elements” and “longitudinal fire”. But both expressions have something in common - it is assumed that there is some kind of straight line that plays the role of an imaginary thread.
