Adrien Fainsilber (15 June 1932 – 11 February 2023) was a French architect and urbanist.

Biography

Born in

Le Nouvion-en-Thiérache Le Nouvion-en-Thiérache (, literally ''Le Nouvion in Thiérache''; pcd, Ch' Nouvion-in-Thiérache, italic=no) is a communes of France, commune in the Aisne departments of France, department, administrative regions of France, region of Hauts-de ...

on 15 June 1932, Fainsilber graduated from the

Beaux-Arts de Paris The Beaux-Arts de Paris is a French ''grande école'' whose primary mission is to provide high-level arts education and training. This is classical and historical School of Fine Arts in France. The art school, which is part of the Paris Sciences ...

in 1960 and subsequently worked for

Hideo Sasaki Hideo Sasaki (25 November 1919 – 30 August 2000) was a Japanese American landscape architect. Biography Hideo Sasaki was born in Reedley, California, on 25 November 1919. He grew up working on his family's California truck farm, and harvestin ...

Watertown, Massachusetts Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, and is part of Greater Boston. The population was 35,329 in the 2020 census. Its neighborhoods include Bemis, Coolidge Square, East Watertown, Watertown Square, and the West End. Watertown ...

. Upon his return to France, he became director of studies at the and participated in the first . In 1970, Fainsilber founded his own architectural agency in

Villetaneuse Villetaneuse () is a commune in the Seine-Saint-Denis department, in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. Heraldry Population Education Primary and secondary schools The commune has four preschoo ...

after winning a competition alongside Högna Sigurðardóttir. He carried out numerous projects, including the Centre Benjamin Franklin and the Villetaneuse campus of the

University of Technology of Compiègne The University of Technology of Compiègne (french: link=no, Université de Technologie de Compiègne, UTC) is a public research university located in Compiègne, France. The university has both the status of public university and grande école. ...

, as well as the Centre hospitalier d’Évry and different buildings of

Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines () is a new town and an agglomeration community in the French department of Yvelines. It is one of the original five villes nouvelles (new towns) of Paris and was named after the Saint Quentin Pond, which was chosen to ...

. In 1980, he was selected for a competition at the

Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie The Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie ("City of Science and Industry", abbreviated la CSI) or simply CSI is the biggest science museum in Europe. Located in the Parc de la Villette in Paris, France, it is one of the three dozen French Cultur ...

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Valéry Giscard d'Estaing Valéry René Marie Georges Giscard d'Estaing (, , ; 2 February 19262 December 2020), also known as Giscard or VGE, was a French politician who served as President of France from 1974 to 1981. After serving as Minister of Finance under prime ...

, then for one at

La Géode La Géode is a mirror-finished geodesic dome that holds an Omnimax theatre in Parc de la Villette at the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie (City of Science and Industry) in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, France. The nearest Paris Métro st ...

. In 1992, Fainsilber founded a , of which he was the sole manager and partner. In 2000, he expanded his practice and named his business Adrien Fainsilber & Associés. The year after his retirement in 2007, the company was renamed Ateliers AFA. His archives are now kept at the . Fainsilber died on 11 February 2023, at the age of 90.

Distinctions

*Member of the

Académie d'architecture The Académie d'Architecture () is a French learned society whose purpose is the recognition of architectural quality. Founded in 1840 as the Société Centrale des Architectes (; en, "Central Society of Architects"), the society was renamed Ac ...

(1985) *

Grand prix national de l'architecture The Grand prix national de l'architecture ("Grand National Prize of Architecture") is a French prize awarded by a jury of twenty persons under the chairmanship of the Ministry of Culture to an architect, or an architectural firm, for recognition of ...

(1986) *Knight of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

(1987) *Officer of the

Ordre des Arts et des Lettres The ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' (Order of Arts and Letters) is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is ...

(1997) *Medal of Honor of the Académie d'architecture (2020)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fainsilber, Adrien 1932 births 2023 deaths French architects People from Aisne Members of the Académie d'architecture École des Beaux-Arts alumni Knights of the Legion of Honour Recipients of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres