Hector Germain Guimard

Hector Germain Guimard (1867-1942), French art nouveau architect. Influenced by the Belgian architect Victor Horta, he designed his first and finest building, Castel Béranger in Paris (1898), an apartment house in which he was responsible for every detail of the interior and exterior. Using varied materials—including metal, faience, and glass brick—Guimard created a design outstanding for the sinuous curves of its decoration, most notably evident in the floral and vegetative motifs of the wrought-iron gates. He is best known for his subway entrances for the Paris Métro (circa 1900), fanciful kiosks imaginatively detailed in wrought iron, bronze, and glass. A few remain in Paris; one of them is now in the garden of New York City's Museum of Modern Art. His influence, like that of all art nouveau architects, was nullified by the emergent functional styles of the 20th century.