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Paul Andreu
Paul Andreu - ph. GianAngelo Pistoia - A.P. - 2.jpg
Born (1938-07-10)10 July 1938
Died 11 October 2018(2018-10-11) (aged 80)
Paris, France
Nationality French
Education Lycée Louis-le-Grand
Alma mater École Polytechnique
École des ponts ParisTech
Occupation Architect
Civil engineer
National Grand Theatre
National Grand Theatre, Beijing

Paul Andreu (born July 10, 1938 – died October 11, 2018) was a famous French architect. He was known for designing many large airports. These include Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. He also created impressive buildings in China. One of his most famous works there is the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing.

Becoming an Architect

Andreu was born in a town called Caudéran, in southwest France. He studied at two top schools in France. First, he graduated from the École Polytechnique in 1958. Then, he finished his studies at the École des ponts ParisTech in 1961. He later studied architecture and became a qualified architect in 1968.

Amazing Airport Designs

Paul Andreu designed many airports around the world. He worked on airports in different countries. Some of these include Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila and Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta. He also designed Shanghai Pudong International Airport in China. Other airports he designed are in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Cairo, and Brunei.

Terminal 2E CDG collapse
Terminal 2E at Charles de Gaulle Airport after a partial collapse in 2004

From 1967, Andreu was in charge of planning and building Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. This airport is also known as Roissy. One part of Terminal 2E at this airport had a structural failure in 2004. This terminal was one of Andreu's boldest designs. An investigation found that the collapse was due to technical issues. It was also caused by a lack of safety margins in the design. Andreu believed the collapse happened because of poor work by the construction companies.

Other Important Buildings

Besides airports, Andreu worked on other major projects. He helped design the Grande Arche in La Défense, Paris. This is a huge arch-shaped building.

He also designed the National Grand Theater of China. This building is near Beijing's famous Tiananmen Square. It has a unique shell made of titanium and glass. It opened in 2007.

In 2008, Andreu was asked to design a cultural center in Montreal, Canada. This center was part of a new entertainment area.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Paul Andreu para niños

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