Antoine Vaudoyer’s Maison Sphérique (1784) is a visionary architectural project that embodies Enlightenment ideals of rationality and geometric purity. Designed as a monumental hemisphere resting on a classical peristyle, the interior is organized around a central helical staircase, flanked by symmetrical chambers for various uses. The circular plan and star-studded dome suggest a cosmic order: a habitable microcosm where architecture becomes both symbol and instrument of knowledge. Echoing Boullée and Ledoux, Vaudoyer’s design anticipates modern visionary architecture as a way of thinking the world through spatial abstraction and symbolic form.
