The Chimneys of Chambord

Chambord is one of the most famous chateaux of the Loire Valley, built for Francis I beginning in 1519. But you can see pictures of the whole building anywhere. What I like best about it is the chimneys, so that is what I give you pictures of.

As I have complained before, we have a big problem in our architecture with buildings that look ok except for the junk on the roof -- antennae, air conditioners, what have you. It looks like the architect wanted to the roof to be flat, but was then forced to tack on a bunch of ugly, utilitarian junk. A building like Chambord shows how to make the functional elements of the roof into both key parts of the overall design and objects of beauty in their own right.

This is what great buildings should be.