The Fall of the Promenade Wall or the Vicissitudes of a Laval Construction Site Skills, References and Responsibilities of an Architecte Voyer (1844–1848)

This article focuses on the collapse of a retaining wall in Laval, prefecture of the Mayenne department, France, in the 1840s. This well-documented accident offers the opportunity to follow the career of a self-taught architect in the midst of turmoil, at odds with his employer. The various protagonists are led to react and express themselves in a debate that emphasizes the central question of an architect’s responsibility.