Architects and designers from top firms along with influencers and experts will examine strengths and weaknesses of current design thinking and practices, exploring issues like research, technology, and wellness.

Register Now

Design for Equity, Must-Read, Must-Reads, sustainability, Urbanism

15 Essential Architecture and Design Reads for 2023

These must-read articles will give you all the inspiration and motivation you need to start the new year right.

Read more
an historic photograph of a designer in his workroom
Postcard No. 10 from Le Style Guimard series, “Hector Guimard in His Workroom at Castel Béranger,” 1903; Black ink, brush, watercolor on sepia paper; 8.9 x 13.9 cm (3 1/2 x 5 1/2 in.); Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum; Gift of Madame Pejol, 1958-84-1; PHOTO: MATT FLYNN © SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

February 16, 2023

The Architect of Art Nouveau Who Brought Beauty to the Masses

Hector Guimard: How Paris Got Its Curves at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York offers a reassessment of an often-overlooked designer who helped define the look of 20th-century Paris.

By: Jaxson Leilah Stone

The Architect Who Gave Paris Its Curves

For Hector Guimard (1867–1942), the goal was always to “put the beautiful within reach of everyone.” From Paris’s sinuous Métro station entrances to the intricate design of his wife’s wedding dress, Guimard dedicated every aspect of his life to creating unity between the architectural, decorative, and fine arts. Yet while Guimard quickly became France’s most famous Art Nouveau architect, breaking from the classical and revivalist styles of the 19th century, he died in relative obscurity in the United States, leaving much of his extensive oeuvre overlooked in the canon of architecture and design history.

a decorative metal bracket
Bracket for Bench, Model GO, circa 1912; Designed by Hector Guimard (French, 1867–1942); Produced by Saint-Dizier Foundries (Saint-Dizier, France); Cast iron, enamel; 86.3 x 55.8 x 7.6 cm (34 x 22 x 3 in.); The Collection of Richard H. Driehaus, Chicago, 10214
luminous blue and golden hanging lamp
Lustre Lumière Hanging Lamp, circa 1912; Designed by Hector Guimard (French, 1867–1942); Produced by Langlois et Cie (Paris, France); Gilt bronze, glass; 19 1/4 x 13 x 13 in. (48.9 x 33 x 33 cm); The Collection of Richard H. Driehaus, Chicago, 30937.

A new exhibition sets out to change that. By considering Guimard’s processes and marketing strategies, Hector Guimard: How Paris Got Its Curves provides a fascinating look at the life and work of this influential designer, showcasing nearly 100 objects including furniture and cast-iron architectural elements alongside jewelry, textiles, wallpaper, typography, drawings, and photographs, as well as other products, plans, and marketing materials. Co-organized by the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum and Chicago’s Richard H. Driehaus Museum and on view through May 2023, the ornate naturalistic designs on view tell the story of Guimard’s eponymous “brand,” Le Style Guimard, and its radical vision for industrial design.

Beyond the Paris Métro

While visitors will be entranced by the Gesamtkunstwerk of Guimard’s life, including his designs for his personal residence and studio, Hotel Guimard, the highlight of the exhibition is the architect’s lesser-known collection of designs for several housing projects from the 1920s. In the context of the post–World War I housing shortage, Guimard’s foray into housing reflected his socialist leanings and advocacy of human rights. Works on view such as drawings for a Design for a Mass-operational House (1920) and Standardized Rural House (1920) display an early recognition of modular building systems including roofing tiles and interlocking concrete blocks. Guimard wasn’t developing prefab methods only to radically rethink the construction process.

Art historian Barry Bergdoll writes in the accompanying catalog that he “was thinking through the implications of … sequencing to the nature of labor on the building site.” By embracing new building materials such as masonry, glass, cast iron, and concrete, Guimard’s work not only signaled a transformation of the city but also displayed a sustained effort to make the Art Nouveau style accessible and affordable to the masses.

  • a perfume bottle
    Kantirix Perfume Bottle, 1899; Designed by Hector Guimard (French, 1867–1942); Produced by F. Millot (Paris, France); Glass, gold; 19.7 x 9 x 5 cm (7 3/4 x 3 1/2 x 2 1/2 in.); Christie Mayer Lefkowith Collection, New York; PHOTO: MATT FLYNN © SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
  • a brown chair designed by Hector Guimard
    Side Chair from Hôtel Guimard, circa 1912; Designed by Hector Guimard (French, 1867–1942); Produced by Ateliers d’Art et de Fabrication Guimard (Paris, France); Pearwood, leather, brass; 113.5 x 46 x 48 cm (44 11/16 x 18 1/8 x 18 7/8 in.); Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum; Gift of Mme Hector Guimard, 1948-114-1; PHOTO: © SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
  • A vase designed by Hector Guimard
    Cerny Vase from Hôtel Guimard, designed 1900, executed 1908; Designed by Hector Guimard (French, 1867–1942); Produced by Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory (Sèvres, France); Stoneware; 27 x 13.4 x 13.4 cm (10 5/8 x 5 1/4 x 5 1/4 in.); Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum; Gift of Mme Hector Guimard, 1948-114-2; PHOTO: © SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
  • a picture frame designed by Hector Guimard
    Picture Frame, 1907; Designed by Hector Guimard (French, 1867–1942); Produced by Philippon (Paris, France); Bronze, gold, plate glass; modern photo reproduction; 24.8 x 16.5 x 16.5 cm (9 3/4 x 6 1/2 x 6 1/2 in.); Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum; Gift of Mme Hector Guimard, 1948-114-4-a,b; PHOTO: MATT FLYNN © SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
  • A blueprint by Hector Guimard
    Plan of Ground Floor for Villa Hemsy, Saint-Cloud, May 1913; Designed by Hector Guimard (French, 1867–1942); Blueprint on white wove paper; 54.6 x 27.5 cm (12 1/2 x 10 13/16 in.); Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum; Gift of Mme Hector Guimard, 1950-66-18; PHOTO: MATT FLYNN © SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
  • a collar designed by Hector Guimard
    Collar from White Satin Coat Worn by Adeline Guimard on Her Wedding Day, 1909; Designed by Hector Guimard (French, 1867–1942); Produced by Maison Drecoll (Paris, France); Silk embroidery on silk satin weave foundation; 41.9 x 61.3 cm (16 1/2 x 24 1/8 in.); Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum; Gift of Mme Hector Guimard, 1949-91-3; PHOTO: MATT FLYNN © SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
  • A metro entrance medallion
    Métro Entrance Medallion, circa 1900; Designed by Hector Guimard (French, 1867–1942); Produced by Val d’Osne Foundry (Saint-Dizier, France); Cast iron, enamel; 73.7 x 61 cm (29 x 24 in.); Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum; Gift of Harry C. Sigman, 2013-21-6; PHOTO: MATT FLYNN © SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
  • A frontispiece designed by Hector Guimard
    Frontispiece from Le Castel Béranger, 1898; Designed by Hector Guimard (French, 1867–1942); Published by Librairie Rouam et Cie (Paris, France); Hand-painted photo-mechanical collotype and bronze paint on paper; 12 3/8 x 17 in. (31.4 x 43.2 cm); The Collection of Richard H. Driehaus, Chicago, 140138.A.

Would you like to comment on this article? Send your thoughts to: [email protected]

Related