René Sergent

René Sergent (1865 - August 22, 1927) was a noted French architect.

Sergent was trained at the École spéciale d'architecture, where he concentrated on French architecture of the 18th century but also studied British contemporaries such as Robert Adam, then entered the architectural office of Ernest Sanson where he remained for more than fifteen years.

In 1902 Sergent opened his own practice, where he undertook design or restoration for a number of wealthy and aristocratic clients including the Prince de La Tour d'Auvergne, the Comtesse de Maupeou, Comte Edmond de Fels, Comte Moïse de Camondo, Duveen, Seligmann, Fabre-Luce, Rothschild, and Wendel. As his reputation spread, he was also asked to design buildings in the United States and Argentina for clients including Pierpont Morgan, Gould, Vanderbilt, Bosch, Alvear, and Errázuriz. His buildings were noted for their integration of modern comforts and conveniences into an imposing classical style.

Sergent also performed work on landmark hotels, including the Trianon Palace at Versailles (1910), the Savoy Hotel and Claridge's in London, the Grand Hotel of Rome, and Hotel Stéphanie at Baden-Baden. In addition, he designed the headquarters for the Rolls-Royce Limited, a Parisian store for the Duveen brothers (1907-1908)in the form of a Petit Trianon at the rear of a marble courtyard at n° 20 place Vendôme which is now a bank headquarters, and the Duveen Gallery, a large building in the style of Ange-Jacques Gabriel at the corner of 5th Avenue and 56th street in New York City (1909-1910, demolished 1953).

In 1911 Sergent received the grande médaille de l'architecture privée from the Société centrale des architectes.

Selected works

* 1894 : Mansion, 9 rue Léo-Delibes, Paris, neo-gothic and neo-renaissance style.
* 1903-1906 : Château de Voisins at Saint-Hilarion (Yvelines) for Comte Edmond de Fels. Spectacular château inspired by Ange-Jacques Gabriel, particularly the École militaire in Paris.
* 1910 : Mansion, 9 avenue Charles Floquet, Paris, for Jules Steinbach, neo-classical style.
* 1911-1914 : Mansion, 63 rue de Monceau, Paris, for Comte Moïse de Camondo (1860-1935), today the Musée Nissim de Camondo. Inspired by the Petit Trianon at Versailles.
* 1911 : Palais Ernesto Bosch, Buenos Aires, today the American embassy.
* 1911 : Palais Errazuriz, Buenos Aires, for Matias Errazuriz, today the Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo.
* 1911 : Mansion, Buenos Aires, for María Unzue de Alvear.
* 1912 : Palais "Sans Souci", San Fernando, Argentina, for Carlos María de Alvear.
* 1913 : Mansion, 19 avenue d'Iéna, Paris, for Alfred Heidelbach, neo-classical style, today the Panthéon Bouddhique of the Musée Guimet.
* 1914 : Mansion, Buenos Aires, for Atucha.
* 1922 : Asilo Luis María Saavedra, Buenos Aires, for Mme Alvear de Bosch.
* Château d'Artigny, near Tours, for François Coty, the perfumer and fascist.
* Château de Voormezeele (Belgium), in the style of Louis XIV (destroyed).
* Mansion, on the Champ de Mars, Paris, for Jean-Philippe Worth, neo-classical style.

References

* [http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren%C3%A9_Sergent French Wikipedia article]
* "Beaux-arts: chronique des arts et de la curiosité", 1927. (Death notice)