Gilles-Barnabé Guimard
| Gilles-Barnabé Guimard | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 1734 Amboise, France |
| Died | 21 September 1805 (aged 70–71) Mosnes, France |
| Nationality | French, |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Buildings | Palace of the Council of Brabant in Brussels (now the Belgian Parliament) |
| Projects | Parc de Bruxelles |
Gilles-Barnabé Guimard (also Gilles Barnabé Guymard de Larabe or Barnabé Guimard) (1734 in Amboise – 1805 in Mosnes) was a French architect. He spent his entire career in the Habsburg Netherlands (present-day Belgium) where he led important architectural and urbanistic projects such as the Place Royale in Brussels and the new 'Palace of the Council of Brabant' which today houses the Belgian Parliament.
Guimard was trained at the prestigious 'Académie royale d'architecture' in Paris. There he participated at the 'Concours de fin d'année' twice: The first time in 1759 with a design for an equestrian school, a second time in 1760 under the patronship of Jacques-François Blondel with a design for a parish church. Since August 1761 his name can be found in the records of the Brussels court of Charles Alexander of Lorraine where he worked under direction of court architect J. Faulte. In 1765 Guimard left the studio of Faulte, probably because the latter used the designs and ideas of Guimard without acknowledging this to his patron. His talent was then recognised by the influential Count Cobenzl who also admired his knowledge of antique architecture and culture. After he had been introduced to the chancellor of the Habsburg Netherlands, Wenzel Anton, Prince of Kaunitz-Rietberg, he received his first official commissions; a catafalque for the funeral of Emperor Franz I in the Cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula and a public fountain in the form of an obelisk near the Kapellekerk. (The latter monument has been reconstructed near the Kapellekerk after the original designs recently).
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