Stephen Sauvestre

Today, the Eiffel Tower is almost exclusively associated with its famous engineer, Gustave Eiffel. Yet its appearance owes much to Stephen Sauvestre (1847–1919), who was known in his day as ‘the architect of the Eiffel Tower’. Whilst the design for the tower for the 1889 Paris World’s Fair was conceived by the firm of Eiffel, Koechlin and Nouguier, it was Sauvestre who shaped its aesthetic, designing the masonry piers, curving the overall form, designing the platforms and large arches that support the tower, and adding a bell tower and statues.

Well versed in working with metal, Sauvestre was responsible, in 1905, for the new Menier chocolate factory in Noisiel, in Seine-et-Marne, which was so spectacular that it was soon dubbed a ‘cathedral’. He also designed numerous villas and private mansions, whose bold lines mean he can be regarded as one of the forefathers of Art Nouveau. His influence was particularly decisive on the young Brussels architect Victor Horta.

This monograph offers a rediscovery of the personality and work of an architect whose contribution to one of the world’s most famous monuments has long overshadowed his other achievements. It highlights the richness of a career which, from steel architecture to the early days of Art Nouveau, bears witness to Sauvestre’s boldness and modernity; his influence on the architecture of his time deserves to be fully recognised today.