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

Biography

Born in Le Nouvion-en-Thiérache on 15 June 1932, Fainsilber graduated from the

Beaux-Arts de Paris The (), formally the (), is a French ''grande école'' whose primary mission is to provide high-level fine arts education and training. The art school, which is part of the Paris Sciences et Lettres University, is located on two sites: Saint-G ...

in 1960 and subsequently worked for Hideo Sasaki in

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

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

University of Technology of Compiègne The University of Technology of Compiègne (, UTC) is a public research university located in Compiègne, France. The university has both the status of public university and grande école. It was founded in 1972 as the first experimental Institu ...

, 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 ...

. 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 a large science museum in Europe. Located in the Parc de la Villette in Paris, France, it is one of the three dozen French Cultural ...

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: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

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

, then for one at La Géode. 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 An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

(1985) * Grand prix national de l'architecture (1986) *Knight of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

(1987) *Officer of the

Ordre des Arts et des Lettres The 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 the recognition of significant ...

(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