Summary Part 4: Hierarchy and Subordination - Architectural Composition by John Beverley Robinson

This week continues our series examining the classic book Architectural Composition, 1908 by John Beverley Robinson.  

Here, Robinson discusses the importance of thoughtful Hierarchy and Subordination of building forms in an architectural composition. 

He explains that a clear hierarchy of forms within a building is key to achieving architectural Unity. "When giving to each part of a building its relative importance, subordination should be accentuated to leave no doubt as to the leading motive."  

Robinson provides the following sketch to clarify his point.  In Figure a. the building is subordinated to the large portico.  In Figure b. simply by adjusting relative size of forms, the hierarchy is reversed and now the smaller portico is subordinated to the building.  The same basic building elements, juxtaposed with different relative sizes, result in two very different architectural expressions:

Robinson goes on to describe 3 primary methods of hierarchy and subordination:

1. Difference in height – "This is the most effective and striking dimension by which importance may be added, as a taller building or architectural element will affect that most important of compositional lines, the silhouette".  The central cupola of the Pitkin County Courthouse in Aspen, CO is clearly the building's dominant form and strikes a bold outline against the sky:

2. Relative width – "A wider element will increase in prominence.  Keep in mind that an increase in width must be accompanied by an increase in height of a given motive, or similarity of form will suffer and a conflict between subordination of height and width occurs".  The importance of the central portico of the Chatauqua Hall in DeFuniak Springs, FL is subtly reinforced by being slightly greater in width than the end porticos:

3. Projection of depth – "This typically has very little effect on subordination if elements are otherwise equal in height and width as this causes little or no modification of silhouette.  Projection becomes critical, however, when subordinating and rendering distinct parts of different sorts.  For example, when subordinating a continuous building element to an individual building element, it is useful to have the continuous part set slightly behind the individual part".  The central and end bays of this school building in Montgomery, AL receive prominence with their slight forward projection, even though they share a common cornice line with the main body of the building behind:

Amazon: Architectural Composition, 1908 (by John Beverley Robinson)