Le Vau, Louis (1612-1670)

The baroque palace and parterre of Versailles, France (built 1661-87). The palace was built for Louis XIV (on the site of a hunting lodge) to a design by the architect Louis Le Vau, with later enlargements and alterations by Hardouin-Mansart. It became the residence of the French kings from 1678 to 1769.

French architect. He was a leading exponent of the baroque style. His design for the château of Vaux-le-Viscomte outside Paris (begun 1657) provided the inspiration for the remodelling of Versailles, on which he worked from 1669. Many of Le Vau's additions to the palace, notably the elegantly symmetrical garden facade, were altered by later enlargements under Hardouin-Mansart.

Le Vau also contributed to the east front of the Louvre 1667 and designed les Tuileries, Paris.