Pascal Coste

See also: Coste

Xavier Pascal Coste is a Architecte French born in 1787 and deceased in 1879.

It was born with Marseilles on November 26th, 1787 from a father appearing among the principal carpenters from the city. Realizing of the intellectual abilities and artistic of his son, it made him begin studies at Penchaud, architect of the department and the municipality. In 1814, it was accepted with the Art schools Paris.

This time was a date hinge in its existence. It became acquainted in Paris with the Jomard geographer who put it in relation to the viceroy of Egypt, Mehmet Ali. In 1817, it was engaged as architect by Eastern potentate.

In 1825, it returned to France with an impressive series of drawings on the architecture of the Cairo. But, it turned over quickly to Egypt at the request of Mehmet Ali which entrusted to him the functions of chief engineer of Low-Egypt. During the four years which lasted its stay, it accumulated of many sketches. But, the Egyptian climate being difficult to him to support, it returned again to France (1829).

He then exerted in Paris the function of professor of architecture at the School of the Art schools, thanks to the relations which he had preserved with Penchaud. He provided the function until 1861 of it, date on which he was one of the founding members of the Athenaeum, centers intellectual.

In the interval, it always went on ceaseless journeys between the France, the Germany, the Belgium and the Tunisia, writing many works on architecture making authority. Its Arab Architecture (1827) was worth to him to be attached to the embassy which the King sent to the Shah Iran.

Associated with the painter Eugene Flandin, it was authorized to visit the ruins of Ecbatane, Bisotoun, Tak-I-Bostan, Sarpol, Pasargades and Persépolis, where it carried out many sketches. From return by Baghdad, it went to raise the ruins of Séleucie of the Tiger, Ctésiphon and Babylon. It continued by Ninive where the Botta archeologist was going to begin his excavations. This voyage was worth to him the interest of Louis-Philippe and a nomination as an architect as a chief of the town of Marseilles (1844).

In 1846, the president of the Chamber of commerce, Mr. Luce, ordered a project of Stock Exchange to him on the Canebière (Marseilles). Admittedly, the project, initiated by Coste, sudden of many modifications before being carried out, but he does not remain about it less the creator.

Coste is also at the origin of two other architectural projects in Marseilles: the construction of faculty to the alleys of Meilhan, and a museum with water tower with Longchamp. He undertook also the construction of the slaughter-house of Arenc, only completed in 1851.

Untiring traveller, it still visited, with more than eighty years, the Spain, the Ireland, the Germany, the Austria, the Hungary, the Russia and the Italy. He left of them thirty albums of drawings, now preserved at the Library of Marseilles. Unfortunately, many its tests are always with the state of manuscrits.

Pascal Coste died at the age of quatre-vingt-douze years, on February 8th, 1879. On the end of its life, it had raised with the rank of officer of the Légion of honor.

List its buildings

• Palate of the Stock Exchange (Marseilles)
• Houses of the Course Saint-Louis with Marseilles

List its works

Published works

• Chart of Low-Egypt, dedicated to Mohammed Aly, by PC, drawn up according to the routes and the statements, 1818-1827 , s.l.n.d., v. 1830, in-4°.
• Note on a dolmen which exists in Draguignan , with Audiffret, ED. Barlatier-Feissat and Demonchy, S.D., Br., in-8°.
• Arab Architecture or monuments of Kaire, measured and drawn of 1818 to 1826 , ED. Firmin and Didot, 1837, Gd. in-f°, 70 pl.
• Voyage in Persia , with Flandin, ED. Gide and Baudry, 1851,2 vol. in-8°, and 6 in-f° including 5 of pl. and 1 of notes.
• modern Monuments of Persia measured, drawn and described , ED. Morel, 1867, Gd. in-f°, 71 pl. N. and coll
• the Cathedral of Saint-Pétersbourg. The future cathedral of Marseilles , ED. Olive, 1874, Br., in-8°. Marseilles Stock Exchange
• Palate of, s.d.
• Memory of an artist , s.d.
• Notes and travel souvenirs (1817-1877) , ED. Cayer, 1878,2 vol. in-8°, portr.