Saulnier, Jules

Saulnier, Jules (1828–1900). French architect and engineer. He designed two celebrated factories: the first was a chemical-works at St-Denis, built (1861–2) of bricks within a metal frame, which was much admired by Émile Muller; and the second was the hydraulic mill of the Menier Chocolate Factory, Noisiel-sur-Marne (1869–72—with an iron frame based on the lattice-girder spanning between piers set in the river, the spaces between the iron members being filled with polychrome brickwork, over which the iron diagonals (ensuring structural rigidity) were exposed). This latter factory (probably the first building in which the metal frame was exposed externally) was greatly admired, not least by Viollet-le-Duc (who mentioned it in his Entretiens (1872) ), and influenced the design of many iron-framed buildings decorated with polychrome brick that went up in Europe until the early C20: its roof-tiles were manufactured by Muller at his La Grande Tuilerie d'Ivry works. Saulnier also designed an estate for the workers at the Menier factory, complete with gardens, decent accommodation, and a day-nursery: for this he was influenced by Muller's designs at Mulhouse, and so, indirectly, by the work of Henry Roberts.

Bibliography

Middleton & and Watkin (1987);
Jane Turner (1996);
Viollet-le-Duc (1959)