Henri Labrouste

Henri Labrouste (Paris, May 11th 1801 - Fontainebleau, June 24th 1875) is a French architect. After having remained six years with Rome, it opened a workshop of training of architects which became center of the rationalist current. It was one of the first to seize the importance of iron in architecture.

Biography

Youth

Labrouste between as raises with the Collège Holy-Bores in Paris in 1809. It is allowed with the second class of the royal School of the Art schools in the Lebas-Vaudoyer workshop in 1819. In 1820, it reaches in first class. In competition for the Grand Prix, Labrouste arrives in second position behind the project of Law courts of Guillaume Abel Blouet in 1821. In 1823, victorious of the departmental price, it works as assistant inspector under the direction of Etienne-Hippolyte Godde on the building site of the church Saint-Pierre-of-Large-Stone.

The year 1824 is revolving in the life of Labrouste. It gains the Grand Prix of Rome over the topic of a Court of appeal. It leaves Paris in November for the Italy. On its way, it stops with Turin, Milan, Lodi, Plaisance, Parma, Modena, Bologna, Florence, Arezzo.

Stay with Rome

Boarders of the State during five years, the prizes winner are placed with the Villa Médicis. In the study of the monuments of Antiquity, they “must seek the laws of the proportions to reduce them in formulas for the use of the Masters and students of Paris”. This obligation results in an annual sending addressed to the Académie of the Art schools; “publicly exposed in Paris, these sendings consist for the first year, details of architecture raised on the remainders of ancient architecture. For the second year in an overall statement (actual position) of one of these buildings. The sendings of third and fourth years comprise the restoration and the restitution, more or less hypothetical or based on historical data of the monument previously raised and another of more considerable importance. ”

For its sending of first year, it subjects in April seven drawings of the Temple of Antonin and Faustine (1826). The started Roman studies the previous year nourish the sending of this third year (1828) which proposes using five drawings a comparison between the Colisée and the Théâtre of Marcellus. It remains the same year by twice with Paestum. On its return, it begins the preparation of its sending of fourth year devoted to the temples of Paestum.

The year of change of management of the Academy from France to Rome (Vernet replaces Guerin in 1829), sees Labrouste visiting the Etruscan tombs of Tarquinia and Sutres but also Tivoli. He works with its fifth sending - a bridge intended to join together France and Italy - when at Rome a report/ratio of the Academy criticizing arrives the restoration which he made of Paestum.

Return to Paris

On its return to Paris in 1830, the polemic on the restoration of Paestum becomes extensive. During the summer, it opens its workshop on August 1st, 1830 (free professor of architecture). In 1834, Labrouste works with Duban on the new aspect to give to the Ecole of the Art schools.

Always inspector at the School of the Art schools, the year even where it Marie (1836), it receives the program for the competition for a lunatic asylum to Lausanne. Appointed architect of the decoration of the Bridge of the Harmony, it provides with his Theodore brother more than ten projects; none will be retained. The project which it subjects to Lausanne in 1837 gains the first price. It will not be carried out for as much; Labrouste concentrates its activity on the tombs of the Baron de Ridèle and the Brunet family for the Parisian cemetery of Montparnasse. Named in January 1838 architect of the Historic buildings, Labrouste undertakes its first work of restoration. It is raised at the same time of its function of inspector at the School of the Art schools whose work has quite advanced. June 6th, Labrouste is named architect of the Deposit of the marbles over the island of the Swans and on June 18th architect of the Bibliothèque Holy-Genevieve. In October of the same year, the architect receives the ordering of the new building intended for the collections of the Holy-Genevieve library. In December 1839, the project for new the Holy-Genevieve libraries is subjected to the Council of the civil buildings. Labrouste conceives the frontispiece of the general Revue of Architecture and Public works . The project for the new Holy-Genevieve library is subjected and approved in 1840 by the Council of the civil buildings at the end of January, but its presentation in front of the rooms on the other hand is deferred. Labrouste is at the same time declared victorious in the competition for the prison of Alexandria in Italy, which was not carried out.

Architect of the ceremony of the Translation of ashes of Napoleon in collaboration with Visconti, Labrouste gives the drawings of the landing stage of Courbevoie, the boat Catafalque-Tank, the Fields-Élysées, the bridge of the Harmony and the Esplanade of the Invalids.

While the project for the new Holy-Genevieve library is deferred, Labrouste is declared victorious competition of the slaughter-houses of Provins in 1841. It receives the Légion of honor for its participation in the translation of Napoleonean ashes.

Judged one of best of ten projects, its drawing for the Tomb of Napoleon to the Invalides gains the gold medal. The following year, the original project of the Holy-Genevieve libraries is subjected and approved again by the Council of the civil buildings. Labrouste joined the central Company of the Architects, founded two years before.

The construction of the Holy-Genevieve library

Its project for the new Holy-Genevieve library receives final approval near the rooms in 1843. The work of the foundations can begin on August 1st of the same year. Two later, Labrouste undertakes the construction of the agricultural Colony of Saint-Firmin. Labrouste is named on March 7th, 1848 member of two commissions: one in charge for the ministry of the Worships of the budget of the religious buildings, the other of the form to be given to the tomb of the Emperor to the Invalids. He also designs the token of the Central Company of the Architects. In 1849, Labrouste is elected vice-president of the central Company of the architects.

February 4th, 1851, the new Holy-Genevieve library is opened with the public. February 23rd, 1852, Labrouste is promoted with the rank of Officer of the Legion of Honor for the building of the new Holy-Genevieve Library.

Last years

Labrouste is successively named architect of the seminar of Rennes and the Libraries main road, building site for which it succeeds Visconti in 1854. Two years later, the approved project, the construction of the seminar of Rennes starts; meanwhile, the architect chose to close his Parisian workshop. Labrouste proposes a project of enlarging for the National library whose realization is undertaken with the autumn 1857. It is the moment that the architect chooses to remain with London where he visits the British Museum lengthily. The project is approved in 1859, the construction of the new room of reading of the National library starts. Labrouste builds the Vilgruy Hotel on the place François Ier in Paris in 1865. It is to replace Hittorf that Labrouste is finally elected with the Academy in 1867. The new room of reading of the National library opens with the public on June 2nd, 1868. During May, Labrouste was elected member of the royal Academy of the English architects. He also is elected five years later elected with the head of the central Company of the architects like in American Institute off Architecture. Paying homage to the one of first Parisian printers, Labrouste installs in 1874 on the stage of the new Holy-Genevieve library a monument with Ulrich Gering. Labrouste dies on June 24th, 1875 with Fontainebleau.

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