Guy Lagneau
Encyclopedia
Guy Lagneau was a French
architect, one of the founders of Atelier LWD
, who was involved in many major projects in France and Africa.
He was a pupil and admirer of the architect Auguste Perret
, whose later reconstruction of Le Havre
(which was devastated during World War II
) was declared a World Heritage Site
by UNESCO
.
He participated in setting up the Pavillon of Modern Times for the International Exposition of 1937.
As a student at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts
, in the Perret-Courtois studio, he designed a hotel at the edge of a lake, with a symmetrical but rhythmic structure of exposed reinforced concrete. This design was published in 1942 in a polemic article written by
Michel Roux-Spitz
, an opponent of traditionalist architecture.
Lagneau played a very active role in the 3rd Perret studio in the 1942-1954 period, following the advice of Le Corbusier
.
Lagneau was among the architects who collaborated with Perret on the project to rebuild Le Havre, involved in the northern section.
During the summer of 1945, he worked with André Le Donné, André Hermant and José Imbert to prepare the first draft of the new city plan, synthesizing the work of other architects, from which Perret developed the final plan submitted on 26 September 1945.
He believed in light architecture, more like that of Le Corbusier
.
Through his work in Africa, he became deeply interested in the relationship between architecture and climate.
In 1952 he founded the Atelier LWD
, with Michel Weill and Jean Dimitrijevic, a partnership that was active from 1952 to 1987.
Their first major project was the Hotel de France in Conakry
, Guinea
, designed in 1953 and completed in 1954.
This was a long, seven-storied building, supported by pillars, with a restaurant located in a circular pavilion.
The interior and furniture were designed by Charlotte Perriand
and Jean Prouvé
in 1953.
In March 1958, Lagneau unveiled the House of the Sahara, a home-made prototype made in collaboration with Weill, Dimitrijevic, Prouvé and Perriand. In this work, they proposed a modern answer to the question of housing under extreme climatic conditions by applying the principle of separation.
The house consisted of cabins cooled by air-conditioning in the day, but open at night onto the desert, all housed in a large tent that creates the central living space. This project was followed in 1958 by studies of tropical habitat in Guinea, resulting in a report which proposed concrete solutions for living in the humid tropics.
, the Museum of Modern Art at Le Havre.
Lagneau undertook the work in collaboration with Raymond Audigier, Michel Weill and Jean Dimitrejvic.
The museum, inaugurated in 1961 by the Minister of Culture, André Malraux
, was one of the key elements of the reconstruction of Le Havre.
The museum departs from the tradition of closed museums cut off from the exterior world. Lagneau worked closely with the curator, Reynold Arnoult to develop a flexible space in harmony with the marine environment.
Facing the sea, the museum is a smooth and transparent assembly of glass and steel posed on a concrete pad.
Installed above the roof, the aluminum louver blades were created by the engineer Jean Prouvé
, providing control over the natural light that floods the building.
Le Signal, a concrete sculpture by Henri Georges Adam, frames a fragment of the landscape and strongly emphasizes the exceptional situation of the building at the harbor entrance.
, Côte d'Ivoire
in 1960.
Lagneau acted as an advisor to the Institute of Urban Planning and Development of the Paris Region, helping prepare master plans for creation of new towns between 1962 and 1965.
In designing the seat of the new department of Essonne
, he was influenced by what he had seen in the planned city of Brasilia
. Thus he proposed a large body of water with the prefect's office in the center, flanked on each side by the courthouse and departmental Assembly. Inspired by the Japanese architect Kenzo Tange
, who designed a city build on blocks to allow free movement on the ground and easy installation of equipment, Lagneau decided to place the administrative buildings on pillars.
However, these plans were modified due to their cost. The buildings were arranged according to his plan, but were placed on the ground. Lagneau was unhappy but was forced to accept the decision.
Lagneau, was architect of the Prefecture and the Palace of Justice of Évry, Essonne with Michel Weill and Jean Dimitrijevic in 1975.
In the late 1970s he designed the 120000 square metres (1,291,669.3 sq ft) Quatre-Temps shopping center in La Défense
, a business district of Paris
, which opened in 1981. It was the biggest commercial centre in Europe at the time, and transformed the district.
The Quatre-Temps reflects the values of lightness, sophistication and flexibility.
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
architect, one of the founders of Atelier LWD
Atelier LWD
Atelier LWD was an architecture studio led by Guy Lagneau, Jean Dimitrijevic and Michel Weill that was active from 1952 to 1985.It later took the name of "Atelier d'Etudes Architecturales" with the addition of Paul Cordoliani, Henri Coulomb , Renzo Moro and Ivan Seifert .The studio originated...
, who was involved in many major projects in France and Africa.
Early years
Guy Lagneau was born in 1915.He was a pupil and admirer of the architect Auguste Perret
Auguste Perret
Auguste Perret was a French architect and a world leader and specialist in reinforced concrete construction. In 2005 his post-WWII reconstruction of Le Havre was declared by UNESCO one of the World Heritage Sites....
, whose later reconstruction of Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
(which was devastated during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
) was declared a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
.
He participated in setting up the Pavillon of Modern Times for the International Exposition of 1937.
As a student at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The most famous is the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, now located on the left bank in Paris, across the Seine from the Louvre, in the 6th arrondissement. The school has a history spanning more than 350 years,...
, in the Perret-Courtois studio, he designed a hotel at the edge of a lake, with a symmetrical but rhythmic structure of exposed reinforced concrete. This design was published in 1942 in a polemic article written by
Michel Roux-Spitz
Michel Roux-Spitz
-Life:Roux-Spitz was born 13 June 1888 in Lyon.The son of an architect, he entered the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Lyon in the studio of Tony Garnier and then became a student in the workshop of Gaston Redon and Alfred Henry Recoura at the National School of Fine Arts in Paris.He won the Prix de Rome in...
, an opponent of traditionalist architecture.
Lagneau played a very active role in the 3rd Perret studio in the 1942-1954 period, following the advice of Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier , was a Swiss-born French architect, designer, urbanist, writer and painter, famous for being one of the pioneers of what now is called modern architecture. He was born in Switzerland and became a French citizen in 1930...
.
Lagneau was among the architects who collaborated with Perret on the project to rebuild Le Havre, involved in the northern section.
During the summer of 1945, he worked with André Le Donné, André Hermant and José Imbert to prepare the first draft of the new city plan, synthesizing the work of other architects, from which Perret developed the final plan submitted on 26 September 1945.
1950s
Lagneau broke with the architectural principles of his master, Perret.He believed in light architecture, more like that of Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier , was a Swiss-born French architect, designer, urbanist, writer and painter, famous for being one of the pioneers of what now is called modern architecture. He was born in Switzerland and became a French citizen in 1930...
.
Through his work in Africa, he became deeply interested in the relationship between architecture and climate.
In 1952 he founded the Atelier LWD
Atelier LWD
Atelier LWD was an architecture studio led by Guy Lagneau, Jean Dimitrijevic and Michel Weill that was active from 1952 to 1985.It later took the name of "Atelier d'Etudes Architecturales" with the addition of Paul Cordoliani, Henri Coulomb , Renzo Moro and Ivan Seifert .The studio originated...
, with Michel Weill and Jean Dimitrijevic, a partnership that was active from 1952 to 1987.
Their first major project was the Hotel de France in Conakry
Conakry
Conakry is the capital and largest city of Guinea. Conakry is a port city on the Atlantic Ocean and serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea with a 2009 population of 1,548,500...
, Guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
, designed in 1953 and completed in 1954.
This was a long, seven-storied building, supported by pillars, with a restaurant located in a circular pavilion.
The interior and furniture were designed by Charlotte Perriand
Charlotte Perriand
Charlotte Perriand , was a French architect and designer. Her work aimed to create functional living spaces in the belief that better design helps in creating a better society...
and Jean Prouvé
Jean Prouvé
-Images:**- External links :***...
in 1953.
In March 1958, Lagneau unveiled the House of the Sahara, a home-made prototype made in collaboration with Weill, Dimitrijevic, Prouvé and Perriand. In this work, they proposed a modern answer to the question of housing under extreme climatic conditions by applying the principle of separation.
The house consisted of cabins cooled by air-conditioning in the day, but open at night onto the desert, all housed in a large tent that creates the central living space. This project was followed in 1958 by studies of tropical habitat in Guinea, resulting in a report which proposed concrete solutions for living in the humid tropics.
Museum of Modern Art at Le Havre
Lagneau was chosen by Georges Salles, director of National Museums, to undertake construction between 1952 and 1961 of the first major museum built in France after World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Museum of Modern Art at Le Havre.
Lagneau undertook the work in collaboration with Raymond Audigier, Michel Weill and Jean Dimitrejvic.
The museum, inaugurated in 1961 by the Minister of Culture, André Malraux
André Malraux
André Malraux DSO was a French adventurer, award-winning author, and statesman. Having traveled extensively in Indochina and China, Malraux was noted especially for his novel entitled La Condition Humaine , which won the Prix Goncourt...
, was one of the key elements of the reconstruction of Le Havre.
The museum departs from the tradition of closed museums cut off from the exterior world. Lagneau worked closely with the curator, Reynold Arnoult to develop a flexible space in harmony with the marine environment.
Facing the sea, the museum is a smooth and transparent assembly of glass and steel posed on a concrete pad.
Installed above the roof, the aluminum louver blades were created by the engineer Jean Prouvé
Jean Prouvé
-Images:**- External links :***...
, providing control over the natural light that floods the building.
Le Signal, a concrete sculpture by Henri Georges Adam, frames a fragment of the landscape and strongly emphasizes the exceptional situation of the building at the harbor entrance.
Later years
Lagneau was asked by Jean Millier to review the urban plans for AbidjanAbidjan
Abidjan is the economic and former official capital of Côte d'Ivoire, while the current capital is Yamoussoukro. it was the largest city in the nation and the third-largest French-speaking city in the world, after Paris, and Kinshasa but before Montreal...
, Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
in 1960.
Lagneau acted as an advisor to the Institute of Urban Planning and Development of the Paris Region, helping prepare master plans for creation of new towns between 1962 and 1965.
In designing the seat of the new department of Essonne
Essonne
Essonne is a French department in the region of Île-de-France. It is named after the Essonne River.It was formed on 1 January 1968 when Seine-et-Oise was split into smaller departments.- History :...
, he was influenced by what he had seen in the planned city of Brasilia
Brasília
Brasília is the capital city of Brazil. The name is commonly spelled Brasilia in English. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country, along a plateau known as Planalto Central. It has a population of about 2,557,000 as of the 2008 IBGE estimate, making it the...
. Thus he proposed a large body of water with the prefect's office in the center, flanked on each side by the courthouse and departmental Assembly. Inspired by the Japanese architect Kenzo Tange
Kenzo Tange
was a Japanese architect, and winner of the 1987 Pritzker Prize for architecture. He was one of the most significant architects of the 20th century, combining traditional Japanese styles with modernism, and designed major buildings on five continents. Tange was also an influential protagonist of...
, who designed a city build on blocks to allow free movement on the ground and easy installation of equipment, Lagneau decided to place the administrative buildings on pillars.
However, these plans were modified due to their cost. The buildings were arranged according to his plan, but were placed on the ground. Lagneau was unhappy but was forced to accept the decision.
Lagneau, was architect of the Prefecture and the Palace of Justice of Évry, Essonne with Michel Weill and Jean Dimitrijevic in 1975.
In the late 1970s he designed the 120000 square metres (1,291,669.3 sq ft) Quatre-Temps shopping center in La Défense
La Défense
La Défense is a major business district of the Paris aire urbaine. With a population of 20,000, it is centered in an orbital motorway straddling the Hauts-de-Seine département municipalities of Nanterre, Courbevoie and Puteaux...
, a business district of Paris
Paris
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...
, which opened in 1981. It was the biggest commercial centre in Europe at the time, and transformed the district.
The Quatre-Temps reflects the values of lightness, sophistication and flexibility.