Arc de Triomphe, Paris

Napoleon I, who commissioned this monument, initially conceived of this edifice as an entry point towards an avenue connecting the Louvre and Bastille. Today, the Place de l’Etoile serves no fewer than twelve rectilinear avenues.

Laurent Dequick, a professional architect, often showcases buildings and architectural heritage in his photos. Here, he goes further by integrating blueprints of each building, these line drawings that represent all of the proportions of the various dots or lines of a figure. “This is the crux of architecture: between the idea and the construction,” he explains. “It all starts with a line, and from the line form must emerge.” It is the search for the perfect harmony of forms, materials, symbols, and uses.”