﻿INSTITUTE OF PHYSIOLOGY
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faces the main street is the principal building and is devoted to scientific research, the other side is occupied almost entirely by the teaching department. Such a disposition prevents the students from disturbing the quiet of the scientific wing.
The two wings, although united, are really two separate structures, having their own staircases running from the basement to the second floor, which aid in emptying the building in normal circumstances, and are of the greatest importance in case of fire. The principal wing runs east and west parallel at an average distance of ten meters to the Eue des Doyens; the teaching wing runs north and south at an average distance of fifteen meters, parallel to the Eue de la Brabançonne.
The Institute has two entrances. There is direct admittance from the Eue des Doyens to the principal wing of the building by a bridge from the street; this entrance is employed only on special occasions. The other entrance, normally used for the whole building, is a private one, which passes the lodge of the attendant and gives admittance to the teaching wing. In this way people on bicycle, entering the private ground of the Institute, can descend a declined plane to the hall of the basement of that wing where there is a place for a great number of bicycles. They can then reach
the hall on the ground floor by the staircase. Those who come on foot go directly to the hall on the ground floor. From here they can go on the left to the lecture-room, straight on to the spectatorium, or on the right to the students’ laboratory. A staircase leads to the upper floors. By passing the students’ laboratory you can enter the principal building. With the exception of the place occupied by the students’ laboratory, the principal building as well as the teaching building has a central corridor.
The architectural embellishment has been limited as far as possible, the principal objects aimed at being economy, simplicity and efficiency of construction, stability, and light. Special precautions have been taken to prevent the vibration of the precision instruments. The earth between the main building and the street is dug out; the bridge giving admittance to the main building is not in direct contact with the building. Several rooms of the basement are provided with vibration-free pillars. On the different floors very thick walls are employed to support the precision instruments.
Certain features of the construction must be mentioned. To render the whole Institute as silent as possible, the floors of the ground floor, the first story, and of part of the second story are made of different materials, reinforced concrete, vaults of bricks between
Fig. 7.—Spectatorium