Max Sainsaulieu

Max Sainsaulieu (17 July 1870 – 21 February 1953) was a French architect. Author of numerous accomplishments in Reims and Soissons before the Great War (completion of the church Sainte Clotilde, church of Saint Benoît, house of Jacques Simon, ...), he participated actively in the reconstruction of Reims in the immediate post war.[1]

Max Sainsaulieu
Born	July 17, 1870 Péronne
Died	February 21, 1953 (aged 82) Paris
Nationality	French
Alma mater	École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts
Occupation	Architect
Awards	Gold Medal of the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, Knight of Légion d'honneur
Buildings	Carnegie library of Reims

Life

Born in 1870 in Péronne, Max Sainsaulieu was formed in architecture with Edmond Duthoit, Inspector of Historic Monuments in Algeria,[1] before joining in 1891 the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He attended the lessons of Constant Moyaux (1837–1889) and of Paul Boeswillwald (1844–1931). In 1898, he received his architecture degree after a study on the restoration of the Fontenelle Abbey in Saint-Wandrille-Rançon.

He came to Reims to contribute to the completion of the Basilica of St. Clotilde. He married the daughter of local architect Alphonse Gosset (1835–1914). He then settled at Soissons in 1903, where he was appointed architect of historical monuments. In 1909 he returned to Reims to gradually resume the activities of his father-in-law Alphonse Gosset. He made several houses mansions and churches in Reims. At the declaration of war, Max Sainsaulieu left Reims but returned after the First Battle of the Marne. Appointed official architect attached to the Cathedral of Reims, his first mission was to protect the left portal of the western facade of the cathedral. Day after day, he reported the effects of the bombardments on the cathedral and on other monuments of the city of Reims. He too urgently all necessary measures to consolidated the battered buildings of Reims.

On January 12, 1918, Max Sainsaulieu was raised to the rank of knight of the Légion d'honneur.

Selected works

• Carnegie Library of Reims, 1927
• Railway station of Contrexéville

Notes

1. Bibliothèque de Reims. "Plus d'informations sur la bibliothèque Carnegie et son histoire" (in French). Archived from the original on 2010-04-03. Retrieved 2010-04-03.

References

• Max Sainsaulieu at Structurae
• Harlaut, Yann (2005). "Max Sainsaulieu et la cathédrale de Reims durant la Première Guerre mondiale" (PDF). La Vie en Champagne (in French). 41: 17–24.