Tony Garnier (13 August 1869 – 19 January 1948) was a noted French architect and city planner. He was most active in his home city of Lyon, where he notably designed the Halle Tony Garnier and Stade de Gerland. Garnier is considered one of the forerunners of 20th-century French architects.
Biography
After learning painting and drafting at the École Technique de la Martinière in Lyon (1883–1886), Garnier studied architecture at the École nationale des beaux-arts de Lyon (1886–1889) and the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris (1890–1899). In 1899 he won the Prix de Rome for a design of a national bank. The prize enabled him to reside at the Villa Medici in Rome for four years, until 1904. During his stay in Rome he began working on the project of an industrial city that became his main contribution to town planning.
In 1901, after extensive study of sociological and architectural problems, he began to formulate an elaborate solution to the perceived issues concerning urban design. His basic idea included the separation of spaces by function through zoning into several categories: industrial, civic, residential, health related, and entertainment. Garnier's drawings for an ideal industrial city called Une cité industrielle were initially exhibited in 1904, but only published later in 1918.