The Bâtiments du Roi was created by Henry IV of France to coordinate the building works at his royal palaces.
Henry gave the task of supervising all works to Maximilien de Béthune, Duke of Sully.
[1] In the 17th century, the responsibilities of the Bâtiments du Roi extended beyond pure building works, to include the manufacture of tapestries and porcelain.
Other areas that came within under the control of the Bâtiments du Roi included botanical gardens, and the Royal Academies of painting and sculpture, and of architecture.
[3] The wide scope of the responsibilities meant that the superintendent of the Bâtiments du Roi was effectively a minister of the French king.