Georgette Cottin-Euziol facts for kids

Georgette Cottin-Euziol (born May 7, 1926, died April 11, 2004) was a talented architect. She was one of the very first women architects in both France and Algeria. Her work helped shape cities in these countries and even in Russia.

Early Life and Family

Georgette Cottin was born on May 7, 1926, in El Affroun, Algeria. Her mother, Céline Rosalie Lecucq, was a teacher. Her father, Gabriel Louis Cottin, was an engineer.

Education and Activism

During World War Two, Georgette was a student at the School of Fine Arts in Algiers. She joined the French Resistance, a secret group fighting against the Vichy government in Algeria. This government worked with the enemy during the war.

Georgette helped the Resistance by providing a typewriter and a special printing machine. These tools were used to publish a secret newspaper called Jeune Garde. At just 17 years old, she joined the Algerian section of the French Communist Party. This group believed in a society where everyone is equal.

After the war, Georgette earned her baccalaureate, a high school diploma. She then moved to Paris to study architecture. On March 15, 1948, she entered the famous École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. She graduated on November 28, 1956. During her studies, she worked with well-known architects like Georges Gromort and Louis Arretche. She also won several architecture awards.

Architecture Career

Georgette Cottin-Euziol started her career in Algeria in 1956. She was a strong supporter of Algerian independence from France. Because of her political beliefs, she had to leave Algeria for a short time in 1961.

After Algeria became independent in 1962, she became an Algerian citizen in 1964. From 1956 to 1978, she designed many buildings. She worked in France, in the Ain and Alpes-Maritimes regions. She also designed many buildings in Algeria. These included four high schools, a university library, and many homes.

In 1978, she left Algeria for good. She settled in Juan-les-Pins, France, with her husband, artist Claude Euziol. From 1991, she also worked on projects in Russia.

Georgette Cottin-Euziol created buildings in Algeria, France, and Russia. She passed away in Antibes on April 11, 2004, at the age of 77. Her important papers and designs are kept in the Archives Départementales des Bouches-du-Rhône in France.

Notable Works

Georgette Cottin-Euziol's projects include:

• The Prefecture building in Tizi-Ouzou, Algeria.
• Rebuilding the university library in Algiers. The original library was destroyed in an attack in 1962.
• Housing projects in the suburbs of Algiers, including Le Ruisseau, Kouba, and Bouzaréah.
• Plans for rebuilding the city of Grozny in Russia, though these were not built.
• A municipal swimming pool in Breil-sur-Roya, France.
• The Gendarmerie (police station) in Monaco.