Architect.  His austere style,  combining classical Greek and Roman elements,  had a significant influence on late 18th and early 19th Century French architecture.  Brongniart was born in Paris and studied at the Lycee Condorcet.  He was much in demand for public buildings (hotels,  churches) and private residences,  and after 1782 oversaw new construction at the Ecole Militaire.  Brongniart is probably best remembered as the designer of Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris,  commissioned by Napoleon and opened in 1804.  With its elegantly planned garden areas and tree-lined roads,  it was an important forerunner of the “memorial park” concept. He did not live to see the completion of his most grandiose design,  the temple-like  Paris Bourse,  or Stock Exchange (1825).  It was named the Palais Brongniart in his honor and,  like Pere Lachaise,  is still in use.  He was the father of noted scientist Alexandre Brongniart. (bio by: Bobb Edwards)