Jules Saulnier

Jules Saulnier (1817-1881) was a French architect. He is best remembered for his work on the Menier Chocolate Co. buildings in Noisiel, France. Many historians cite his 1872 building as the first true skeleton structure, having its exterior walls requiring only simple infill. [http://www.arch.mcgill.ca/prof/adams/arch251/winter1998/ha/feb18/feb18.htm] The February 1997 issue of the Architectural Review called the iron and brick chocolate factory at Noisiel "one of the iconic buildings of the Industrial Revolution". In 1992, the factory was designated by the government of France as an official Monument historique and is on the list to be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site [http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1664/] .

A street in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis is named in Jules Saulnier's honor.

References

* [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3575/is_n1200_v201/ai_19330782The Architectural Review article on Jules Saulnier work at Noisiel]
* [http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Menier_Factory.html Jules Saulnier at Greatbuildings website]