He received the gold medal from the Academy of Architecture in 2023. The famous architect and urban planner Paul Chemetov died on June 16, 2024, at the age of 95, his agency confirmed with Batiactu. He had signed more than 200 construction and development projects, including several of world renown. Among them, the French Ministry of the Economy and Finance, the underground public facilities in the Les Halles district, the renovation of the large gallery of the National Museum of Natural History and the French Embassy in New Delhi (India).
Requalification of cities
Paul Chemetov had also contributed to urban requalification in several French cities: rehabilitation of towers in Ivry-sur-Seine, construction of housing in Poitiers, Tours and Guyancourt, extension of the Lyon-Sud medical faculty… Several of his works are included in the additional inventory of Historic Monuments, while others have received the label “Heritage of the 20th century” or “Remarkable contemporary architecture”.
“Member of the steering committee of the Construction Plan then vice-president (1982-1987), he co-chaired the scientific committee of Grand Paris (2009). He was responsible for the development of the National Strategy for Architecture (SNA)“, specifies the AUA agency Paul Chemetov, on its site. “He was the winner of the international competition for the extension of the historic axis of Paris beyond La Défense and led the Green Meridienne project to celebrate the year 2000.”
Celebrating Everyday Architecture
The graduate of the National School of Fine Arts in 1959 was an officer of the Order of Arts and Letters, an officer of the National Order of Merit and Commander of the Order of the Legion of Honor. In 1980, he received the National Grand Prix for Architecture. When presenting the prize at the Academy of Architecture on September 14, 2023, Paul Chemetov saw in this attribution “the celebration of everyday architecture. Medals allow me to carry messages“. He had received the medal of honor from this same academy 32 years earlier.
Reactions in the construction world:
Emmanuelle Cossepresident of the Social Union for Housing (USH), testified on “immense gratitude for Paul Chemetov, his works, his vision of the world, the city and housing”. Jacques Baudrierdeputy mayor of Paris in charge of housing, welcomed for his part “a brilliant mind and a charming man who contributed enormously to the architecture and urban planning of Paris and our country”. The architect Marc Chabanne considers for its part “let a page turn for the architects of my generation, the one who knew and often admired the AUA Architects engaged”.
