Victor Louis (10 May 1731, Paris – 2 July 1800, Paris) was a French architect, disqualified on a technicality from winning the Prix de Rome in architecture in 1755.[1]
Victor Louis | |
---|---|
Born | 10 May 1731 Paris, France |
Died | 2 July 1800 Paris, France | (aged 69)
Nationality | French |
Occupation | Architect |
Spouse | Marie-Emmanuelle Bayon Louis |
Children | Marie-Hélène-Victoire Louis |
He was born Louis-Nicolas Louis in Paris.[2] He did not adopt the name Victor until after he returned from a trip to Poland in 1765.[3] In 1770 he married the pianist and composer Marie-Emmanuelle Bayon. They had a daughter, Marie-Hélène-Victoire, in 1774.[4] A full biography of Victor Louis was published by Charles Marionneau in Bordeaux in 1881.[5]
Louis' masterpiece is the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux of 1780.[6] He also designed other theatres, including the Salle Richelieu on the rue de Richelieu (1790, later to become the home of the Comédie-Française) and the Théâtre National de la rue de la Loi (1793, demolished).[7] The Salle Richelieu was the first major building with a roof structure of iron which was selected for its fire-resistant qualities when compared with wood.[8][9] Other buildings include the Intendance in Besançon (completed 1776), the garden galleries of the Palais-Royal in Paris (1781–1784), the Salle de Beaujolais (1782–83), and the Château du Bouilh near Bordeaux (1786–1789, unfinished).[10][11]