Gabriel Davioud

Davioud is remembered for his contributions to architecture (e.g. the two theaters on the place du Châtelet and the city hall of the 19th arrondissement), parks (e.g. the Pré Catelan garden and the square des Batignolles) and urban amenities (fountains, pavilions, benches and kiosks).

[1] In November 1851, Davioud was asked to execute drawings of the façades of 80 of the 250 buildings that were to be demolished under Haussmann’s plans to extend the rue de Rivoli in central Paris.

He completed the task, but many of these drawings were destroyed when the Hôtel de Ville (the town hall) was burned down in 1871 during the Paris Commune.

As a close associate of the urban planner Baron Haussmann, he designed much of the characteristic Parisian street furniture (benches, pavilions, bandstands, fountains, lampposts, signposts, fences, balustrades and jetties) as well as a number of landmark buildings.

Their re-discovery in 1981 by the Library of the Hôtel de Ville helped to reveal Davioud’s major contributions to the city of Paris and rekindled interest in his work.