ARC423 Advanced Building Systems

HENRI LABROUSTE   (1801-1875)
and the Biblioteque St. Genevieve

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Background
  • Teacher at Ecole des Beaux Arts, Paris.
  • Upheld Durand's principles
  • Prix de Rome winner
  • Controversial project of Paestum
  • August, riots end the July Monarchy
1828
  • in 4th year in Rome
  • studies Paestum
  • proves a previous study incorrect
  • developed a theory of the history of the people who built the temples
  • -claims one of the three temples not a temple
  • -Academy dismissed the idea
  • -Academy insulted, denies him work for 10 years
1838 Appointed Arch for library of St. Genevieve
1840 Site finally selected
1842 Design agreed upon
1843 Money awarded
1844 Another version approved
1845-50 Construction
1848
  • -first freestanding French library
  • -first library with lights, open at night
  • -names inscribed starting with Moise (Moses) ending with Berselius (Swedish chemist)
  • -over the door: Psellus meeting of east and west
... St Genevieve section.
Section through the library showing the entry (below), the main staircase and the reading room (above).
... The library represents an attempt by a "mainstream" architect to incorporate the advances of the materials and technology of the day and thus fuses the technology of the industrial revolution, as represented by the cast iron and glass train shed, with traditional stone construction.

The roof structure is of cast iron but encrusted with decoration to disguise the connections. The contrast between the delicacy of the cast iron roof ridges and slender columns with the six foot deep stone wall produces a compelling architecture.
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Last update: April 09, 2003. Copyright © 2003 Bruce M. Coleman
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