Louis De Soissons
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Louis Emanuel Jean Guy de Savoie-Carignan de Soissons CVO RA
FRIBA The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...
(1890–1962) was the younger son of Charles de Savoie-Carignan, Count de Soissons (with claimed descent, through an illegitimate son, from Thomas Francis of Savoy, Prince of Carignano). An architect, he was professionally known as Louis de Soissons.


Early life

De Soissons was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, but moved in childhood with his family to London. In 1913 he won the first year of the Henry Jarvis scholarship of the
Royal Institute of British Architects The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...
, enabling three years of European travel and study.Connell, Ward and Lucas: Modern Movement Architects in England 1929-1939, by Dennis Sharp, Sally Rendel, page 198


Career

The first major commission of the practice he set up (Louis de Soissons Partnership) was the 'master plan' (so-called – a very early use of the term) for
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(1920), a planned town created by
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in neo-Georgian style, built on cheap redundant
farmland Agricultural land is typically land ''devoted to'' agriculture, the systematic and controlled use of other forms of lifeparticularly the rearing of livestock and production of cropsto produce food for humans. It is generally synonymous with bot ...
. Louis de Soissons was appointed architect for the town in 1920 and the practice was significantly involved in its development over the next 60 years. He designed the Nabisco Shredded Wheat Factory for the eponymous Canadian company. Other important early projects included the
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and
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Estates in London, where the future
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was the effective client and the Nag's Head Estate in Bethnal Green, London, E2 which was one of the few private "
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" projects undertaken by a private landlord. When young he had been much influenced by 18th-century
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architecture, and gained a reputation as a classical architect, but with a deep humanism resulting from his
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work. After the
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the firm expanded to
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and
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to carry out a wide variety of architectural work. Nearly 50 war cemeteries were designed for the
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in Greece and Italy. Among de Soisson's designs was the Coriano Ridge War Cemetery in Coriano, Italy. Later the practice's buildings included a number of important buildings, such as the
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, The Leathersellers Company, (a reconstruction in 1948 after wartime bombing), the
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in
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and the International Wool Secretariat in Carlton Terrace, London. He also designed the Hobbs' Gates at
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cricket ground, in memory of Sir Jack Hobbs, the noted
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and England player, and a statue of
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. The Crown Estates Commissioners retained the firm to restore Cumberland and Chester Terraces, by John Nash. For the MCC work has been carried out on seating. Work for academic institutions included
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, and
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and
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Universities. The firm changed tack in the 1960s, and commercial work such as the
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shows a greater deference to
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. The firm's headquarters are now in
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,
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.


Recognition and personal life

In 1923 Louis de Soissons became a fellow of the
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and a member of both the Town Planning Institute, later RTPI, and the Société des Architectes Diplômés par le Gouvernement. He was made an academician – a fellow of the
Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...
– in 1953 and was awarded the RIBA distinction in town planning in 1945. In the 1956 New Year Honours he was decorated with the CVO. Louis de Soissons married Elinor Penrose-Thackwell, by whom he had three sons: Philip (killed in action 1941), Maurice (1927–2019) and Brian (1929–2009).


Links

https://www.architecture.com/image-library/RIBApix/image-information/poster/louis-de-soissons/posterid/RIBA24016.html https://www.cwgc.org/learn/horticulture-and-works/our-architects/louis-de-soissons https://www.architecture.com/image-library/RIBApix/licensed-image/poster/louis-de-soissons/posterid/RIBA24016.html https://louisdesoissons.com/history/


References

*
Information on Soissons in Canonbury, London
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soissons, Louis De 1890 births 1962 deaths Architects from London Canadian emigrants to England English people of French-Canadian descent Architects from Montreal Royal Academicians Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order Fellows of the Royal Institute of British Architects