Jacques-Germain Soufflot

Jacques-Germain Soufflot (July 22nd 1713, Irancy - August 29th 1780, Paris) is a French great architect.

After being party of its hearth, at the 19 years age, against the opinion of his parents, he studied Antiquity as well as works of Palladio in Italy with the Villa Médicis of 1731 to 1738. Following its formation it will be intallera initially with Lyon or it will construct in particular the cabin of Exchange of Lyon and the hotel God. In 1747, Soufflot presents a report on the Gothic architecture, subject which counts few followers at the time. It will go on then a journey in Italy in company of the future marquis de Marigny, then will return to Lyon in 1751 when it will carry out the theater of the district Clear St, before going up on Paris in 1754 at the request of Marigny, become his guard, who entrusted to him the construction of his private mansion (which does not exist any more).
Become superintendent of the buildings of the king, the Marquis de Marigny appoints Soufflot “Controller of the buildings of the King” and will make it admit in the first class of the royal Academy of architecture of Paris, to decorate knight about Saint-Michel and will name it directing Manufacture of the Goblins. Soufflot is also invited to reflect on the restoration of Louvre and will put forth some proposals which did not have time to be put into practice.

Its most known work is not other than the church Holy-Genevieve in Paris (which was ordered to him by the marquis de Marigny), named the Pantheon to leave 1791, and where it rests since 1829.

Soufflot was one of the principal craftsmen of the return to the " large goût" in the years 1750, movement which was opposed to art rubble. Its architecture takes again principles of the Gothic architecture adapted to an ancient and traditional vocabulary comparable with that of Claude Perrault (architect of the colonnade of the Louvre).

Principal achievements

1736 - 1750: Aggrandissement of the church Saint-Bruno-of-Carthusian monk in Lyon
1747 - 1750: Temple of the Exchange to Lyon
1754 - 1756: Theater of the Saint-Clearly district in Lyon
1741 - 1761: Frontage of the Hospital of Lyon
1764: Transformations of the Castle of Menars (Loir-et-Cher) for Abel-François Poisson de Vandières, marquis de Marigny
1766 - 1775: Part of the Hotel of the Navy, Place of the Harmony in Paris
1757 - 1790: Church Holy-Genevieve in Paris, today the Pantheon (he dies before the end of work) in which he implements the Pierre armed.

Some pupils

Maximilien Brébion
Jean-Baptiste Rondelet, with which it collaborated for the church Holy-Genevieve

External bonds

Structurae: Jacques-Germain Soufflot

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