Eugène Train (1832–1903) was a French architect who taught for many years at the
École des Arts Décoratifs
École may refer to:
* an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée)
* École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France
* École, Savoi ...
.
He is known as an advocate of rationalist architecture, which he applied with large schools such as the
Lycée Chaptal and
Lycée Voltaire.
Early years
![Lycée chaptal](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Lyc%C3%A9e_chaptal.jpeg/1200px-Lyc%C3%A9e_chaptal.jpeg)
Eugène Train was born in 1832 in
Toul
Toul () is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.
It is a sub-prefecture of the department.
Geography
Toul is between Commercy and Nancy, and the river Moselle and Canal de la Marne au Rhin.
Climate
Toul ...
, Meurthe-et-Moselle.
He was admitted to the
École des Arts Décoratifs
École may refer to:
* an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée)
* École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France
* École, Savoi ...
in 1850, and studied under Adolphe-Marie-François Jaÿ.
In 1852 he moved to the
École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts (; ) refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The term is associated with the Beaux-Arts style in architecture and city planning that thrived in France and other countries during the late nineteenth centur ...
, where he studied under
Charles-Auguste Questel.
Eugène Train received the second
Prix de Rome
The Prix de Rome () or Grand Prix de Rome was a French scholarship for arts students, initially for painters and sculptors, that was established in 1663 during the reign of Louis XIV of France. Winners were awarded a bursary that allowed them t ...
in 1859.
He became one of the leaders of the
rationalist school of French architecture, particularly with his educational buildings.
Teacher
Train became a tutor at the École des Arts Décoratifs in 1855, and taught there until 1899.
He was a director of the school between 1870 and 1899.
Train was a demanding teacher.
He constantly complained about the lack of education of his pupils, who were required only to be able to read and write. In 1874 he proposed that, at least for the architecture course, there should be an entrance examination in geometry. This was resisted by Laurent-Jan, who did not want any obstacles to admission to his school.
Train also asked in 1874 whether the school could teach students the basic principles of fabrication and coloration so they could design carpets, wall hangings and stained-glass windows.
This represented a new departure for the school, which had avoided specialized training until then.
Architect
![P1270553 Paris XI bd de Menilmontant n83 rwk](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/P1270553_Paris_XI_bd_de_Menilmontant_n83_rwk.jpg)
Train became an architect of the city of Paris in 1863.
Between 1863 and 1876 he designed and oversaw construction of the new
Lycée Chaptal.
The original premises of the school were irregular in plan and too cramped for the student body.
Train was selected to build the new school following specifications defined by the city.
Construction started in 1866, but was interrupted by the
Franco-Prussian War of 1870. Work resumed in 1871 and was completed in 1876.
Train was architect of the
Lycée Voltaire on the Avenue de la République. Construction began in 1885.
The school accommodated 1,200 pupils, of whom 500 were boarders.
The decorations of the building included metal and ceramics.
Eugène Train was made a 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 ...
.
He died in
Annecy in 1903 at the age of 71.
Students
*
Eugène Millet (1819–1879)
*Charles-Louis Genuys (1852–1928)
*
Gustave Rives (1858–1926).
*Joseph Hornecker (1873–1942)
Notes
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Train, Eugene
1832 births
1903 deaths
People from Toul
19th-century French architects
Prix de Rome for architecture
École des Beaux-Arts alumni