Portrait of Auguste Perret in Chile, 1936 © IFA

Auguste Perret was born in Brussels in 1874. His father, Claude-Marie Perret, a Burgundian stonecutter, had been exiled there in 1870. In 1881, the family relocated to the centre of Paris. Auguste's father started up a construction firm and Auguste and his two brothers became quickly accustomed to construction work. >>

Biography born in Brussels, one of five children.   1874   enrolled at the Ecole nationale des Beaux-arts in Julien Guadet's Atelier.   1891   married Jeanne Cordeau (1877-1964), a student at the Ecole nationale des arts décoratifs.   1903   After his father's death, with his two brothers he continued the family construction firm, which became 'Perret frères, architectes, constructeurs, béton armé'.   1905   sinvolved in the 'Art et Liberté' group with artists and writers (Juan Gris, Paul Guillaume, André Breton, Guillaume Apollinaire.   1916-24   taught in the first 'free atelier " at the Ecole nationale des Beaux-Arts, Paris (Palais de bois).   1924-26   taught at the Ecole spéciale d'architecte (private school) in Paris.   1930-37   contributed to operated in several architectural journals (special issue dedicated to him in Architecture d'aujourd'hui, July 1932).   1932   became the President of the newly created 'Ordre national des architectes français'.   1941   taught at the second 'free atelier " at the Ecole nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris.   1942-54   elected a member of the French Academy.   1943   became the first President of the International Union of architects (UIA).   1948   died in Paris.   1954

Portrait of Auguste Perret coming down the office stairs © IFA