Antoine Picon


Antoine Picon is a 20th-/21st-century French professor of the History of Architecture and technology and Co-Director of Doctoral Programs at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. He teaches courses in the history and theory of architecture and technology. He is member of the scientific committee of the École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Versailles -ENSAV-

Career

Picon graduated from the École Polytechnique in 1979 and the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in 1981. Architect DPLG in 1984 and Doctor in History of School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences, with honors in 1991. He was a public servant with the grade of General Engineer of Roads and Bridges.
From 1981 to 1984 he was a Special Advisor to the Office of the Ministry of Architectural Research Equipment. He was a researcher from 1984 until 1994 when he became Director of Research at the National School of Bridges and Roads. He held this position until 1997 when his title was changed to Professor.
In 2002 he took up the position of Professor of the History of Architecture and Technology at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Since 2008 he has also been a researcher at the National School of Bridges and Roads.

Honors and awards

Picon has received a number of awards in France for his writings, including the Medaille de la Ville de Paris and twice the Prix du Livre d'Architecture de la ville de Briey.
He is Chairman of the Fondation Le Corbusier.
He is Chevalier des Arts et Lettres since 2014 in recognition of his significant contributions to the arts, literature, or the propagation of these fields.

Works

Trained as an engineer, architect, and historian of science and art, Picon has published extensively on the history of architectural and urban technologies from the 18th century to the present.
Picon has also published numerous articles, mostly dealing with the complementary histories of architecture and technology.