Gilles-Barnabé Guimard
Encyclopedia
Gilles-Barnabé Guimard (Amboise
1734 - Mosnes
1805) was a French architect. He spent his entire career in the Habsburg Netherlands
(present-day Belgium
) where he led important architectural and urbanistic projects such as the Place Royale
in Brussels
and the new 'Palace of the Council of Brabant' which today houses the Belgian Parliament.
. There he participated at the 'Concours de fin d'année' twice: The first time in 1759 with a design for an equestrian school, a second time in 1760 under the patronship of Jacques-François Blondel
with a design for a parish church.
Since August 1761 his name can be found in the records of the Brussels court of Charles Alexander of Lorraine where he worked under direction of court architect J. Faulte. In 1765 Guimard left the studio of Faulte, probably because the latter used the designs and ideas of Guimard without acknowledging this to his patron. His talent was then recognised by the influential Count Cobenzl who also admired his knowledge of antique architecture and culture. After he had been introduced to the chancellor of the Habsburg Netherlands, Wenzel Anton, Prince of Kaunitz-Rietberg
, he received his first official commissions; a catafalque for the funeral of Emperor Franz I in the Cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula and a public fountain in the form of an obelisk
near the Kapellekerk
. (The latter monument has been reconstructed near the Kapellekerk after the original designs recently).
In 1766 he was installed as professor of architecture at the newly founded architecture section at the Brussels 'Academie'. He soon resigned this post to work fulltime at new commissions in Brussels and Antwerp. During years he tried in vain to be appointed to an official function at the court. Instead of Guimard it was the slightly older Walloon architect Laurent-Benoît Dewez
who succeeded Faulte as official architect of the court. Guimard continued to work 'freelance' for the state and the court during several years, without receiving the benefits of an official function.
In 1768 Charles Alexander of Lorraine asked him to make the plans for the levelling of the terrains of the Coudenberg Palace
which was destroyed in a fire in 1731. This area would eventually become the new center of government in Brussels, with realisations such as the Warandepark or Parc de Bruxelles, the Place Royale
and the Palace of the Council of Brabant. From 1770 onwards he mainly worked at the different plans for this new 'Quartier Royal'. For this task he had to collaborate with other architects that were consulted by the government such as Barré for the designs of the Place Royale or Zinner for the lay-out of the Parc de Bruxelles. The design of the Place Royale has long been attributed to Guimard. In fact Guimard had the task to supervise the works in Brussels, carried out after the plans that Barré had sent from Paris. Still Guimard had an important input, as it was his task to adapt the plans to the local situation and to overcome unforeseen practical difficulties.
In 1773 he made a project design for a new state prison that the government planned in Vilvoorde
near Brussels. His project is close to contemporary French designs of this kind. At the end Guimard did not get the commission and the building was eventually carried out after the project of court architect Laurent-Benoît Dewez
.
Guimard was involved in the design and execution of numerous mansions erected in a uniform style around the Parc de Bruxelles such as the Hotel Errera. His most important personal realisation within the project of the 'Quartier Royale' were the designs of the Palace of the Palace of the Council of Brabant. In the early 1780s the government entrusted him with the design for the monumental gateways of the Parc de Bruxelles. This commission was executed in collaboration with the sculptor Gilles-Lambert Godecharle
who also made the designs for the relief decorating the pediment of the Palace of the Council of Brabant. After the death of Charles Alexander of Lorraine the government of the Habsburg Netherlands was entrusted to Archduchess Maria Christina of Austria and her husband Albert of Saxe-Teschen. As also Dewez had fallen into disfavor - officially due to shortcomings in his designs for the Vilvoorde prison - they choose for new architects to work in their service such as Charles de Wailly
and Louis Montoyer
. Ironically the last official commission that Guimard received was a triumphal arch erected in Brussels at the occasion of the Triumphant Entry of the new Governors into their Capital (1781).
In the last years under Austrian rule Guimard designed his most important private commission; the Château of Wannegem-Lede.
It is a small but elegant country house on the top of a hill in a Romantic English garden
. It is a fine neoclassical design, strongly reminiscent to Ange-Jacques Gabriel
's Petit Trianon
. After the occupation of the Habsburg Netherlands
by the French revolutionary troops Guimard returned to his country of origin where he was named professor of the Ecole Centrale in Tours in 1796.
Amboise
Amboise is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. It lies on the banks of the Loire River, east of Tours. Today a small market town, it was once home of the French royal court...
1734 - Mosnes
Mosnes
Mosnes is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France....
1805) was a French architect. He spent his entire career in the Habsburg Netherlands
Habsburg Netherlands
The Habsburg Netherlands was a geo-political entity covering the whole of the Low Countries from 1482 to 1556/1581 and solely the Southern Netherlands from 1581 to 1794...
(present-day Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
) where he led important architectural and urbanistic projects such as the Place Royale
Place Royale (Brussels)
The Place Royale or Koningsplein is a historic square near the center of Brussels, Belgium.-History:...
in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
and the new 'Palace of the Council of Brabant' which today houses the Belgian Parliament.
Life and work
Guimard was trained at the prestigious 'Académie royale d'architecture' in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. There he participated at the 'Concours de fin d'année' twice: The first time in 1759 with a design for an equestrian school, a second time in 1760 under the patronship of Jacques-François Blondel
Jacques-François Blondel
Jacques-François Blondel was a French architect. He was the grandson of François Blondel , whose course of architecture had appeared in four volumes in 1683 -Biography:...
with a design for a parish church.
Since August 1761 his name can be found in the records of the Brussels court of Charles Alexander of Lorraine where he worked under direction of court architect J. Faulte. In 1765 Guimard left the studio of Faulte, probably because the latter used the designs and ideas of Guimard without acknowledging this to his patron. His talent was then recognised by the influential Count Cobenzl who also admired his knowledge of antique architecture and culture. After he had been introduced to the chancellor of the Habsburg Netherlands, Wenzel Anton, Prince of Kaunitz-Rietberg
Wenzel Anton, Prince of Kaunitz-Rietberg
Wenzel Anton, Prince of Kaunitz-Rietberg was a diplomat and statesman of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1764 he was made a prince of the Holy Roman Empire as Reichfürst von Kaunitz-Rietberg and in 1776 prince of the Kingdom of Bohemia.-Early life:Kaunitz was born in Vienna, one of 19 children of...
, he received his first official commissions; a catafalque for the funeral of Emperor Franz I in the Cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula and a public fountain in the form of an obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
near the Kapellekerk
Kapellekerk
The Église de la Chapelle or Kapellekerk is a Roman Catholic church situated in the Marolles/Marollen district of Brussels, Belgium....
. (The latter monument has been reconstructed near the Kapellekerk after the original designs recently).
In 1766 he was installed as professor of architecture at the newly founded architecture section at the Brussels 'Academie'. He soon resigned this post to work fulltime at new commissions in Brussels and Antwerp. During years he tried in vain to be appointed to an official function at the court. Instead of Guimard it was the slightly older Walloon architect Laurent-Benoît Dewez
Laurent-Benoît Dewez
Laurent-Benoît Dewez was a Belgian architect of Walloon origin. He is considered the most influential architect in the Austrian Netherlands from the second half of the 18th-century. His architectural projects are of international stature and introduced a neoclassical style with Italian and...
who succeeded Faulte as official architect of the court. Guimard continued to work 'freelance' for the state and the court during several years, without receiving the benefits of an official function.
In 1768 Charles Alexander of Lorraine asked him to make the plans for the levelling of the terrains of the Coudenberg Palace
Coudenberg
Coudenberg or Koudenberg is a small hill in Brussels where the Palace of Coudenberg was built.For nearly 700 years, the Castle and then the Palace of Coudenberg were the seat of government of the counts, dukes, archdukes, kings, emperors and governors who from the 11th century until its...
which was destroyed in a fire in 1731. This area would eventually become the new center of government in Brussels, with realisations such as the Warandepark or Parc de Bruxelles, the Place Royale
Place Royale (Brussels)
The Place Royale or Koningsplein is a historic square near the center of Brussels, Belgium.-History:...
and the Palace of the Council of Brabant. From 1770 onwards he mainly worked at the different plans for this new 'Quartier Royal'. For this task he had to collaborate with other architects that were consulted by the government such as Barré for the designs of the Place Royale or Zinner for the lay-out of the Parc de Bruxelles. The design of the Place Royale has long been attributed to Guimard. In fact Guimard had the task to supervise the works in Brussels, carried out after the plans that Barré had sent from Paris. Still Guimard had an important input, as it was his task to adapt the plans to the local situation and to overcome unforeseen practical difficulties.
In 1773 he made a project design for a new state prison that the government planned in Vilvoorde
Vilvoorde
Vilvoorde is a Belgian municipality in the Flemish province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the city of Vilvoorde proper with its two outlying quarters of Koningslo and Houtem and the small town of Peutie...
near Brussels. His project is close to contemporary French designs of this kind. At the end Guimard did not get the commission and the building was eventually carried out after the project of court architect Laurent-Benoît Dewez
Laurent-Benoît Dewez
Laurent-Benoît Dewez was a Belgian architect of Walloon origin. He is considered the most influential architect in the Austrian Netherlands from the second half of the 18th-century. His architectural projects are of international stature and introduced a neoclassical style with Italian and...
.
Guimard was involved in the design and execution of numerous mansions erected in a uniform style around the Parc de Bruxelles such as the Hotel Errera. His most important personal realisation within the project of the 'Quartier Royale' were the designs of the Palace of the Palace of the Council of Brabant. In the early 1780s the government entrusted him with the design for the monumental gateways of the Parc de Bruxelles. This commission was executed in collaboration with the sculptor Gilles-Lambert Godecharle
Gilles-Lambert Godecharle
Gilles-Lambert Godecharle was a Belgian sculptor, a pupil of Laurent Delvaux, "the only sculptor of international repute in Delvaux's retinue", who became one of two outstanding representatives of Neoclassicism in the Austrian Netherlands.In response to his early promise, empress Maria Theresa...
who also made the designs for the relief decorating the pediment of the Palace of the Council of Brabant. After the death of Charles Alexander of Lorraine the government of the Habsburg Netherlands was entrusted to Archduchess Maria Christina of Austria and her husband Albert of Saxe-Teschen. As also Dewez had fallen into disfavor - officially due to shortcomings in his designs for the Vilvoorde prison - they choose for new architects to work in their service such as Charles de Wailly
Charles De Wailly
Charles De Wailly was a French architect and urbanist, and furniture designer, one of the principals in the Neoclassical revival of the Antique. His major work was the Théâtre de l'Odéon for the Comédie-Française...
and Louis Montoyer
Louis Montoyer
Louis Montoyer was an 18th century Belgian-Austrian architect, principally active in Brussels and Vienna.-Life:...
. Ironically the last official commission that Guimard received was a triumphal arch erected in Brussels at the occasion of the Triumphant Entry of the new Governors into their Capital (1781).
In the last years under Austrian rule Guimard designed his most important private commission; the Château of Wannegem-Lede.
It is a small but elegant country house on the top of a hill in a Romantic English garden
English garden
The English garden, also called English landscape park , is a style of Landscape garden which emerged in England in the early 18th century, and spread across Europe, replacing the more formal, symmetrical Garden à la française of the 17th century as the principal gardening style of Europe. The...
. It is a fine neoclassical design, strongly reminiscent to Ange-Jacques Gabriel
Ange-Jacques Gabriel
Ange-Jacques Gabriel was the most prominent French architect of his generation.Born to a Parisian family of architects and initially trained by the royal architect Robert de Cotte and his father , whom he assisted in the creation of the Place Royale at Bordeaux , the younger Gabriel...
's Petit Trianon
Petit Trianon
The Petit Trianon is a small château located on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France.-Design and construction:...
. After the occupation of the Habsburg Netherlands
Habsburg Netherlands
The Habsburg Netherlands was a geo-political entity covering the whole of the Low Countries from 1482 to 1556/1581 and solely the Southern Netherlands from 1581 to 1794...
by the French revolutionary troops Guimard returned to his country of origin where he was named professor of the Ecole Centrale in Tours in 1796.