How about we step into a green haven named Jardin Henri-Sauvage? This park is located in Paris’s 18th arrondissement. Until 2011, it was known as Square Amiraux-Boinod. The names came from its proximity to Rue des Amiraux and Rue Boinod.
The garden now pays homage to French architect Henri Sauvage. He lived from 1873 to 1932. Sauvage was known for his innovative designs. He designed many buildings in Paris, including social housing.
Jardin Henri-Sauvage is easily accessible. You can enter from Rue Boinod, Rue des Poissonniers, or Rue des Amiraux. The Simplon station on Line 4 will also get you here. The park offers a peaceful escape for locals. It provides play areas for children. It is a place for relaxation.
Entering from the main entrance leads to a central plaza. This plaza overlooks the lawn’s gentle slopes. Shrubs and hedges are scattered throughout the garden. This greenery creates contrasts between the horizontal lawn and vertical trees.
The playground is accessible from Rue des Poissonniers. It now includes the area formerly on Rue Boinod. Since 2011, the garden has honored Henri Sauvage. He designed social housing and the Amiraux-Boinod swimming pool. Sauvage was famous for tiered buildings. He also rationalized housing. He helped design the Villa Majorelle in Nancy.
Henri Sauvage left a lasting mark on architecture. He studied at the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts. But he considered himself self-taught. He associated with leading architects and designers. These included Frantz Jourdain and Louis Majorelle.
Sauvage first gained recognition designing in the Art Nouveau style. He designed a shop for his father’s wallpaper firm. The firm received many commissions from Art Nouveau architects. Sauvage also made furniture with Louis Majorelle.
In 1897, Sauvage worked with Paul Saintenoy in Brussels. He studied the work of Paul Hankar. This time changed his architectural ideas. In 1898, he married Marie-Louise Carpenter. He founded his architectural firm with Charles Sarazin.
Louis Majorelle commissioned Sauvage to build the Villa Majorelle in Nancy. Completed in 1902, it brought him international attention. In 1899, he created dining rooms for the Café de Paris.
At the 1900 Paris Universal Exposition, Sauvage designed a theater for Loïe Fuller. He also designed entrances for the Exposition of the Street.
In 1903, Sauvage ventured into low-cost housing. He co-founded a company for hygienic housing. He designed six buildings for the company. These buildings featured reinforced concrete frameworks. Sauvage used rational design principles. He and Auguste Perret were the first to use reinforced concrete in residential buildings.
In 1911, Sauvage and Sarazin constructed an apartment building. It had a shopping gallery on the ground floor called the Cité d’Argentine.
Sauvage studied ways to provide light and air to apartments. In 1909, he designed stepped buildings. These buildings had terraces on each floor. He patented the idea in 1912. He applied the system at 26 Rue Vavin and 13 Rue des Amiraux. The exteriors were covered in white ceramic tiles.
These buildings reduced crowding and created space. They allowed tenants to have gardens. These ideas earned Sauvage credit as a pioneer of modernist architecture.
Jardin Henri-Sauvage is more than just a park. It is a tribute to architectural innovation. It is a place where history and nature meet. As you leave, remember Henri Sauvage’s vision. He sought to create functional and beautiful spaces for all.