Henri Sauvage
*10. 5. 1873 – Rouen, France
†21. 3. 1932 – Paris, France
Biography
Henri Sauvage was a French architect active in the early 20th century. Together with Hector Guimard, he was one of the most prominent representatives of Art Nouveau in France. His most famous works include the La Samaritaine department store in Paris and the Majorelle villa in Nancy. From 1892 to 1903, he studied architecture at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris under Jean-Louis Pascal, but left the school before obtaining his diploma, subsequently declaring himself a self-taught architect. Initially, in 1895, he designed the interior of his father's store, Henri-Albert Sauvage, which he co-managed with his partner Alexandre-Amédée Jolly, a company specializing in interior decoration and wallpaper sales. The Jolly & Sauvage company received numerous requests for wallpapers from Art Nouveau architects (for example, for Castel Béranger by Hector Guimard). Together with Louis Majorelle, he produced templates, furniture, and decorative items at his father's company. In 1897, he moved to Brussels, where he worked with the Art Nouveau architect Paul Saintenoy, while simultaneously studying the work of rationalist architect Paul Hankar. In 1898, he married Marie-Louise Carpenter, the daughter of furniture designer and sculptor Alexandre Charpentier. In the same year, he established his own architectural firm with Charles Sarazin and obtained a commission from Majorelle for a villa in Nancy, which he completed in 1902 and immediately garnered worldwide attention. In 1903, he and Sarazin founded the Company for Hygienic and Affordable Housing and began focusing on the construction of low-cost apartment buildings. By 1916, he designed six buildings. For economical construction, he utilized reinforced concrete frame structures with brick infill. In all cases, he adhered to the principles of rational and hygienic design, which were already outlined in the writings of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. Together with Auguste Perret, he was one of the first French architects to use reinforced concrete not only as a construction material but also for its architectural effect. In 1911, he and Sarazin built a new apartment building, Cité d'Argentine, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, which featured a new element on the ground floor: a glass shopping gallery updating the typology of passageways from the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Since 1909, he began applying the principle of recessed floors, intended to ensure a sunny and airy ground floor. He patented this idea in 1912 but only used it in two buildings at 26 rue Vavin and 13 rue des Amiraux, whose facades were uniformly made of white ceramic tiles from the Hippolyte Boulenger company. The stepped buildings allowed residents to have rooftop gardens, and the white tiles provided a clean and modern appearance. This approach was appreciated by the American historian H.R. Hitchcock, but especially by the post-war generation of Parisian architects such as Jean Balladur, Michel Andrault, and Jean Renaudie.
As one of the first architects, he announced the end of the Art Nouveau style in 1909 and embarked on a path of geometric decoration. From 1925 to 1930, he created his last major project, which was the expansion of the La Samaritaine department store in central Paris on the banks of the Seine River (the original building was designed between 1903-10 by his friend Frantz Jourdain), where he preserved many previous Art Nouveau elements.
In 1931, he collaborated with Jourdain on the project for the Decré department store in Nantes, which they were able to build in just 97 days thanks to experimental prefabricated construction (the building was destroyed during World War II).
From 1929 to 1931, Sauvage taught at the Paris École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs. Many of his Art Nouveau buildings have irretrievably disappeared. In 1975, the French Ministry of Culture declared his major works to be historical monuments.
Henri Sauvage was a French architect active in the early 20th century. Together with Hector Guimard, he was one of the most prominent representatives of Art Nouveau in France. His most famous works include the La Samaritaine department store in Paris and the Majorelle villa in Nancy. From 1892 to 1903, he studied architecture at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris under Jean-Louis Pascal, but left the school before obtaining his diploma, subsequently declaring himself a self-taught architect. Initially, in 1895, he designed the interior of his father's store, Henri-Albert Sauvage, which he co-managed with his partner Alexandre-Amédée Jolly, a company specializing in interior decoration and wallpaper sales. The Jolly & Sauvage company received numerous requests for wallpapers from Art Nouveau architects (for example, for Castel Béranger by Hector Guimard). Together with Louis Majorelle, he produced templates, furniture, and decorative items at his father's company. In 1897, he moved to Brussels, where he worked with the Art Nouveau architect Paul Saintenoy, while simultaneously studying the work of rationalist architect Paul Hankar. In 1898, he married Marie-Louise Carpenter, the daughter of furniture designer and sculptor Alexandre Charpentier. In the same year, he established his own architectural firm with Charles Sarazin and obtained a commission from Majorelle for a villa in Nancy, which he completed in 1902 and immediately garnered worldwide attention. In 1903, he and Sarazin founded the Company for Hygienic and Affordable Housing and began focusing on the construction of low-cost apartment buildings. By 1916, he designed six buildings. For economical construction, he utilized reinforced concrete frame structures with brick infill. In all cases, he adhered to the principles of rational and hygienic design, which were already outlined in the writings of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. Together with Auguste Perret, he was one of the first French architects to use reinforced concrete not only as a construction material but also for its architectural effect. In 1911, he and Sarazin built a new apartment building, Cité d'Argentine, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, which featured a new element on the ground floor: a glass shopping gallery updating the typology of passageways from the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Since 1909, he began applying the principle of recessed floors, intended to ensure a sunny and airy ground floor. He patented this idea in 1912 but only used it in two buildings at 26 rue Vavin and 13 rue des Amiraux, whose facades were uniformly made of white ceramic tiles from the Hippolyte Boulenger company. The stepped buildings allowed residents to have rooftop gardens, and the white tiles provided a clean and modern appearance. This approach was appreciated by the American historian H.R. Hitchcock, but especially by the post-war generation of Parisian architects such as Jean Balladur, Michel Andrault, and Jean Renaudie.
As one of the first architects, he announced the end of the Art Nouveau style in 1909 and embarked on a path of geometric decoration. From 1925 to 1930, he created his last major project, which was the expansion of the La Samaritaine department store in central Paris on the banks of the Seine River (the original building was designed between 1903-10 by his friend Frantz Jourdain), where he preserved many previous Art Nouveau elements.
In 1931, he collaborated with Jourdain on the project for the Decré department store in Nantes, which they were able to build in just 97 days thanks to experimental prefabricated construction (the building was destroyed during World War II).
From 1929 to 1931, Sauvage taught at the Paris École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs. Many of his Art Nouveau buildings have irretrievably disappeared. In 1975, the French Ministry of Culture declared his major works to be historical monuments.
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