The great
architects

Back in France, Laprade quickly made a name for himself through the quality of his work. He is the architect behind the Palais de la Porte Dorée, a masterpiece of the 1931 Colonial Exhibition, as well as the former Paris prefecture on Boulevard Morland, and numerous urban projects where he championed the idea of architecture that is both elegant and accessible. But it is at the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris that he left one of his most lasting marks. There, he designed several emblematic buildings: the Abreu de Grancher Foundation (Maison de Cuba), the Lucien Paye Foundation (originally built for French students from overseas territories), the Maison du Maroc, as well as a student cafeteria. Laprade sought balance—he played with styles, drew inspiration from Art Deco, yet never lost sight of the need to root his buildings in the lived reality of the students from all over the world who would inhabit them.

All his creations reflect his commitment to designing warm, open living spaces that foster connection. He rejected uniformity and favored a diversity of forms and atmospheres, convinced that architecture should reflect the plurality of cultures. For him, each residence was a gesture of hospitality.

Recognized by his peers, Laprade became a member and later president of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in 1965. He also worked actively to preserve Paris’s architectural heritage.

After the First World War, Bechmann played a key role in the creation of the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris. At the request of Émile Deutsch de la Meurthe, he designed, together with Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier and Léon Azéma, the master plan for this unique campus. He completed the first group of residential buildings, the Fondation Deutsch de la Meurthe (1922–1925), intended for French students. His architectural choice leaned toward a rustic brick style inspired by the French Middle Ages, often compared to British college architecture, which drew some criticism. However, he defended his approach by emphasizing that this Norman medieval style was an authentic source of inspiration, not a mere foreign imitation.

Lucien Bechmann also served as consulting architect for the Cité Internationale for thirty years (1923–1953). He designed the entrance pavilions (1932–1933) and the Victor Lyon Pavilion (1950), thus helping to shape the architectural and landscape identity of the campus. He also worked on the reconstruction of buildings damaged during the Second World War. Although he designed several proposals for the Maison Internationale, funding issues and constraints imposed by benefactor John D. Rockefeller Jr. led to the appointment of another architect for the building, with Bechmann stepping aside without compromising the project.

Lucien Bechmann died in Paris on October 29, 1968, leaving behind a discreet yet essential architectural legacy, marked by great integrity and recognized technical mastery.

Claude Parent is renowned for introducing the concept of the “oblique function,” an architectural approach that breaks away from traditional horizontal planes by proposing inclined surfaces, thereby creating a dynamic and unprecedented spatial experience. Developed with Paul Virilio within the Architecture Principe group (1963–1968), this approach aims to design living spaces where movement and discontinuity are central to the conception, challenging conventional ways of occupying and using space.

Among his most iconic works is the Sainte-Bernadette-du-Banlay Church in Nevers (1963–1966), a major example of his oblique architecture, as well as several raw concrete shopping centers, including the one in Sens (Yonne), which has been listed as a Historic Monument, reflecting his attachment to Brutalism. Beginning in 1974, he also worked with EDF to help integrate nuclear power plants into their environments, demonstrating his commitment to large-scale public and industrial projects.

At the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris, Claude Parent made a notable contribution by designing the Maison de l’Iran (1961–1969) in collaboration with André Bloc, Mohsen Foroughi, and Heydar Ghiai. This building reflects his innovative approach and attention to cultural integration within an international context, contributing to the architectural diversity of the campus.

Demanding, critical, and provocative, Claude Parent left a strong mark on contemporary architecture through his boldness and theoretical insight. He received several honors, including the Grand Prix National d’Architecture in 1979, and was elected to the Académie des Beaux-Arts in 2005. He died on February 27, 2016, leaving behind a deeply original and influential architectural legacy.

He settled in Paris in 1917, where he learned reinforced concrete architecture and established his own practice. Obsessed with the idea of a return to moral order, he met the painter Amédée Ozenfant, with whom he shared this ideology, advocating for a modern art stripped of all extravagance. This notion of a “return to moral order” was tied to a rejection of overly decorative and exuberant artistic styles of the past, particularly Art Nouveau. After the horrors of the First World War, Le Corbusier and Ozenfant sought to establish a new form of beauty, based on simplicity, rationality, and efficiency.

The interwar period, a time when many buildings had to be rebuilt after the destruction of the war, proved to be an opportunity for Le Corbusier. He designed numerous villas and buildings reflecting his functional and minimalist architectural vision.

The furniture and buildings he created embodied this “purist” spirit and quickly became iconic works, representing the aesthetic of modern architecture, where form follows function and every element finds its justification in utility.

His most iconic work remains the Hilversum Town Hall (1928–1931), a brick building with geometric volumes and clean lines that blends functionality with symbolism. Dudok also designed the interior, from the furniture to the carpets, demonstrating his attention to detail and overall harmony. His style combines asymmetry, overhangs, and textured surfaces, creating spaces that are both modern and warm.

Alongside his projects in Hilversum, Dudok pursued an international career, notably with the design of the Dutch College at the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris. This building, which reflects his modernist vision, is tailored to both an urban and student setting, with living spaces and rooms designed to be bright and comfortable, while also addressing technical constraints such as limited room size. He also developed a variety of projects, including a cultural center in Baghdad and a cinema in Calcutta, reflecting his global reach.

Dudok received several prestigious awards, including the Gold Medal of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in 1935 and that of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 1955, underscoring the importance of his international influence. After the Second World War, he contributed to urban reconstruction, notably with a large-scale plan for The Hague, demonstrating his commitment to architecture in service of society. He died in Hilversum in 1974, leaving behind a lasting legacy that continues to inspire modern architecture in the Netherlands and beyond.

Their work at the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris marks an important milestone in their career. In 2013, they completed the second pavilion of the Maison de l’Inde, a flagship project within the Cité 2025 plan, continuing the campus’s tradition of openness and innovation. This building, designed to accommodate new residents while respecting the spirit of the historic site, is distinguished by its use of wood, the emphasis on natural light, and its harmonious integration into the Cité Internationale park. The pavilion was awarded the Île-de-France Wood Trophy in 2013, highlighting the architectural and environmental quality of the project.

Lipsky + Rollet have succeeded in proposing contemporary architecture that respects heritage and engages in dialogue with the values of the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris: diversity, hospitality, and innovation. Their work on the Maison de l’Inde is part of a series of projects that demonstrate their ability to respond to complex contexts by combining architectural research with social commitment. The firm, which has received several awards (including the Équerre d’Argent Prize in 2005, finalist for the Mies van der Rohe Award, and the Grand Prix Architecture CAUE Rhône-Alpes), continues to explore collective housing, social diversity, and coexistence, in line with the international and humanist mission of the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris.