For more than 20 years, Jean-Paul Viguier has been one of the few French architects to work extensively beyond the boundaries of Europe. Besides numerous buildings in France, he has realized projects in Asia and in the United States. Viguier is particularly interested in the urban perspective and has been involved in a number of town development projects. In Bandar Nusajaya, close to Malaysia’s border with Singapore, he was responsible for designing an entirely new town for 650 000 inhabitants. Some of the most notable Viguier’s projects are the André Citroën Park in Paris, the French Pavilion at Expo 92 in Seville, the Franco-Chinese Center at Tong Ji University in Shanghai, and the Sofitel Hotel in Chicago.

Miniature Models are Monuments

Five major projects are represented in the models, light boxes, photographs and drawings on view at the French Embassy: the Jane and Arthur Stieren Center for Exhibitions at the McNay in San Antonio, a sleek glass pavilion designed by Viguier to accommodate 45,000 square feet of new galleries and public space, which opens to the public in June; the American University of Paris/ New York University on the Île Seguin (slated for completion in 2009); Chicago’s Sofitel Water Tower (2002), named to the “America’s 150 Best Loved Buildings” list last year by the American Institute of Architects (AIA); the Maroc Telecom’s headquarters in Rabat, capital of Morocco (slated for completion in 2009); and the headquarters of France Public Television in Paris (1998).

The miniatures will be shown with a film by Daniel Deleforges, with sound by composer Julien Tarride, which documents the step-by-step process whereby the tiny geometric planes, cones, and cubes magically coalesce into building forms.

The McNay model was conceived and created by Viguier to convey his idea for the design of the Jane and Arthur Stieren Center for Exhibitions to the board members of the museum. The McNay is home to one of the nation’s foremost collections of post-impressionist and modern French painting. More info: www.mcnayart.org

Today the Viguier atelier designs dramatic yet formally rigorous skyscrapers and large-scale public and private projects throughout the world.