(1862-1952)
The grandson of architect Jean-Pierre Cluysenaar (1811-1880) and the son of Gustave Saintenoy, Paul Saintenoy was born in Ixelles on 19 June 1862. A student of Félix Laureys at the Académie royale des Beaux-Arts in the early 1880s, Saintenoy completed early commissions that reflected a revival of Flemish Renaissance style (Delacre pharmacy, 1895). By 1900, his designs had evolved toward a marked affinity for art nouveau (Old England, 1899), and, after 1904, toward a classicist style evidenced in many buildings, most notably several banks in Brussels. After 1910, Saintenoy concentrated largely on teaching, research, and writing, especially on topics in the history of architecture. A teacher for 30 years at the Académie royale des Beaux-Arts, he served on the Commission royale des Monuments et Sites and, as such, played an important role in efforts to construct and reconstruct edifices and monuments commemorating the events of World War I. Saintenoy died in Ixelles on 18 July 1952.
Historical Dictionary of Brussels. Paul F. State.