Charles-François Viel, architecte des hôpitaux parisiens et théoricien à la fin du XVIIIe siècle

Abstract

Charles-François Viel (1745-1819) was an architect and architectural theoretician who was in charge of the construction and upkeep of the buildings of the general hospital of Paris between 1780 and 1790. In this rôle he participated in the transformation of this institution into a place of medical treatment. He pursued his activities as a specialist in hospital building under the Revolution and the Empire. He contributed to the major debate of his time as to the best architectural form to be given to the Hôtel Dieu, built according to the new hygienic norms of the late eighteenth century. In his writings he defended a conception of architecture based on experience and tradition. He remains a valuable witness to the technical and stylistic evolutions of his art at the beginning of the nineteenth century.

Keywords

• Paris
• French Revolution
• Jacques Tenon
• Salpêtrière
• Cochin
• Hôtel-Dieu