Léon Azéma
Léon Azéma (20 January 1888 – 1 March 1978) was a French architect.[1] He is responsible for many public works in France, especially in and around Paris. His most famous work is 1937 Palais de Chaillot, facing the Eiffel Tower in Paris.[2]
Early career
Azéma was born in
In 1912, he was called to military service. He was seriously wounded at
He returned to France in 1919 and rejoined the École des Beaux-Arts. He won first prize in the Prix de Rome in 1921, and the international competition for the construction of the Palace of Justice in Cairo. He built several buildings in Alexandria with the College of Christian Schools and the Collège Saint-Marc. In 1922 he presented a project to rebuild the Labyrinth of Thebes in Karnak.[1]
Douaumont ossuary
On his return to France, he was appointed professor at the École des Beaux-Arts. In 1923, he won the contest for
Architect of the City of Paris
Appointed Architect of the City of Paris in 1928, Azéma designed the restoration of the park of Sceaux.[5] He reconstructed the Pavilion of Hanover in 1932[6] and in 1934–1935 he rebuilt waterfalls created by André Le Nôtre and destroyed in the French Revolution.[1]
In Paris, he created the squares of the green belt and that of Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre (1930–1935) and the sports fields of the ASPS in 1937. In 1938, work started on his design for the Parc de la Butte du Chapeau Rouge in the 19th arrondissement,[7] which was then completed by his son Jean.[1] Between 1933 and 1935, he built the church of Saint Anthony of Padua in the 15th arrondissement. His work for the Parc des Expositions (exhibition ground) at the Porte de Versailles included office buildings, medical service and, in 1937, with Louis-Hippolyte Boileau, the entrance to the Park.[1]
At the Brussels World Fair of 1935, he designed the Pavillon de la Ville de Paris. In 1936, together with Maurice Mantout, he built the Franco-Muslim Avicenna hospital in Bobigny.[1]
With Jacques Carlu and Louis-Hippolyte Boileau, he won the competition for the construction of the Palais de Chaillot on the occasion of the 1937 Paris World's Fair.[1]
Azéma was a professor at the
Architect of the ORTF
After retiring from the postal service, Azéma became the architect of the Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française (ORTF). At 65, he participated in the contest to design the Maison de la Radio in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. He was also responsible for the restoration of the Quai Conti Mint until 1978.[1]
Personal life
An amateur painter, Azéma produced numerous works including several views of Parthenay (Deux-Sèvres), his wife's birthplace.[1] He designed his villa in Sainte-Maxime sur Mer and his home in Bourg-la-Reine (4 avenue Aristide Briand), where he lived from 1939. He died in Épernay on 1 March 1978 and is buried in the town cemetery.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Philippe Chaplain. "Léon Azéma". Fédération Nationale du Patrimoine. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
- ^ "Palais de Chaillot. Chaillot museums". Paris Digest. 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-28.
- ISBN 978-0-521-73626-8.
- ISBN 978-1-85973-626-5. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
- ISBN 9782840963066. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
- ISBN 9782905118394. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
- ISBN 978-2-7469-1881-8. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
Further reading
- Philippe Chaplain, Michel Bonnefille, Léon Azéma Architecte 1888 – 1978, éd. de la Mairie de Bourg-la-Reine brochure N°2, année 2004
- Catalogue d'exposition : Les peintres de Parthenay et de la Gâtine, nés avant 1900, Musée municipal, Parthenay, 2005.
External links
- Léon Azéma at Fédération Nationale du Patrimoine (in French)