Dominique Berninger

Dominique Berninger
Born	May 31, 1898[1] France
Died	1949[2] Pennsylvania, United States
Awards	1939 Philadelphia Competition for Housing projects (slated to work on Germantown Housing Project with Edmund R. Purves - George S. Idell Group (but project didn't go ahead.) Various (see listed alongside works)
Work
Practice	Partner in Berlinger & Bower (fl. 1935-1945) Berninger, Haag & d'Entremont (fl. 1946-1946)
Buildings	New York World's Fair French Pavilion (1939)

Dominique Berninger, AIA, (1898-1949), was a French-born American architect based in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States, who practiced nationally in the mid twentieth century but particularly in Pennsylvania. He is best known for his design of the French Pavilion for the New York World's Fair of 1939, and was a colleague of Louis Isadore Kahn, FAIA, founding the short-lived the Architectural Research Group (ARG) of Philadelphia with him. He was partners in the firms of Berlinger & Bower (fl. 1935-1945) Berninger, Haag & d'Entremont (fl. 1946-1946)^[3]

Early life and education

Born in May 31, 1898 in France, Berlinger attended high school in Darmstadt, Germany, preparatory school in Paris, France, and graduated with a bachelors from the great École Centrale des Arts et Manufacturers, in Paris, France.^[1]

Architectural career

Upon coming to America, Berlinger worked for Zantzinger, Borie and Medery, Architects of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1925 to 1932.^[1] During this time he served as job captain for their design project of the Sheffield Scientific School at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, a project that cost around $1,250,000.^[1][4] In 1932, he formed with Louis Isadore Kahn, FAIA, to form the Architectural Research Group (ARG) in Philadelphia. Kahn had just returned from Washington, D.C., working on the U.S. Department of Justice building in 1932 and had previously worked with Berninger at Zantzinger, Borie & Medary. The ARG was short-lived and Kahn quickly took a job with the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, while Berninger commenced his own practice in 1933 before forming the partnership of Berlinger & Bower.^[1]

The most expensive and important work of his career was The French pavilion on the Court of Peace at the 1939 New York World's Fair, which was the grand open space northeast of the Theme Center. It ran such a celebrated restaurant that after the fair closed and World War II ended, the restaurant remained in New York City – and soon established itself (as Le Pavilion) as one of the finest French dining establishments in the city. Henri Soulé moved from the French Pavilion at the fair to open Le Pavillon, taking Pierre Franey along as head chef.^[5][6]

At Berlinger & Bower, Harold Haag worked as a draftsman and after the partnership dissolution in 1945, Berlinger took Haag Paul d'Entremont and into partnership in 1946 as Berninger, Haag & d'Entremont.^[1] However, he left this firm that year, which reverted to the name of Haag & d'Entremont (practicing from the old offices of 445 Cedar Street, Jenkintown, Pennsylvania 19046.)^[3] He died in 1949. Between 1932 and 1935, he was President of the Architectural Research Group, Philadelphia, for the group study of Housing and Slum Clearance.^[1]

Works as Berlinger & Bower

• 1939: New York World's Fair French Pavilion (client: French Government; cost: $1,500,000; demolished 1940)^[1]
• Academy of the New Church Elementary School, Bryn Athyn, PA. (cost $70,000)^[1]0
• 1946: Academy of the New Church Elementary School and Dormitories, Bryn Athyn, PA. (cost $300,000)^[1]
• George Deming Residence, Philadelphia (cost $75,000)^[1]
• Dufur Hospital Addition, Ambler, for the Dufur Hospital, Inc. (cost $35,000)^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l} "Questionair for Architects’ Roster and/or Register of Architects Qualified for Federal Public Works "Dominique Berninger - G. Harold W. Haag - Paul d/Entremont (firm)" June 25, 1946.
2. ^ The AIA Historical Directory of American Architects > Wiki Pages > ahd1003302 "Dominique Berninger" (Accessed 4 May 2011
3. ^ ^{a b} "Haag & d'Entremont" American Architects Directory, Third Edition (New York City: R.R. Bowker LLC, 1970), p.360.
4. ^ This is probably Strathcona Hall at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut (1931), see Elizabeth Mills Brown, New Haven: A Guide to Architecture and Urban Design, (New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 1976).
5. ^ "Restaurants: The King". Time. 1966-02-04. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,898950,00.html. Retrieved 2010-04-20. 
6. ^ Franey, Pierre (1989-10-18). "DE GUSTIBUS; Innocence Abroad: Memories of '39 Fair". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE2DE113AF93BA25753C1A96F948260&sec=&spon=. Retrieved 2010-04-20. 

Persondata
Name	Berninger, Dominique
Alternative names
Short description	Architect
Date of birth	1898
Place of birth	France
Date of death	1949
Place of death	Pennsylvania