De Chenu, (Roger) Noël (1924–2002), architect, artist and actor, was born on 25 December 1924 in Drumcondra, Dublin, the son of Roger Louis de Chenu (1891–1964) and his wife Aileen (née McShane; b. 1893). Roger, a dress designer, originally came from Poitiers in France, and is said to have come to Ireland during the first world war. Aileen, an operator with the National Telephone Company in 1911, came from a large middle-class family in Clontarf. Noël grew up in a French-speaking household, and throughout his life remained proud of his French roots. After attending the local St Patrick's national school in Drumcondra, he went to Synge Street CBS, where he became interested in acting, along with his friend Eamonn Andrews (qv). De Chenu won praise for numerous amateur performances, not least his role as a submarine captain in the Irish-language play 'Cá bhfios dúinn', performed at the Abbey theatre by the school's pupils; he was reported as giving a 'restrained and vibrant interpretation' marking him apart as 'having high acting potential' (Ir. Press, 4 August 1943). He was also an outstanding sprinter in his mid to late teens, and a well-known competitor in the Leinster secondary schools and colleges championships. In 1943 he was the star of the Synge Street annual sports day at Milltown, taking first prize in both the 100- and 220-yard races, along with the award for best all-round performance. That same year he took first prize in the 220 yards at the Amateur Athletic Union championships at College Park, Dublin, with an impressive time of 23.4 seconds. He was also Leinster schoolboy champion, running the 100 yards in 10.4 seconds.
On leaving Synge Street, de Chenu at first wanted to be an artist, and enrolled at the National College of Art for a short period, before finally deciding upon architecture at University College, Dublin. His talent as an artist, however, remained an important component of his architectural career, and in later years his work was of such a standard that it was exhibited at the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA). He joined the UCD dramatic society and won critical acclaim for a variety of college productions. In 1944 he played the lead role in 'The anatomist', the story of an early nineteenth-century surgeon who relied on the work of body snatchers for his research. This was a UCD Players production, and once again de Chenu's performance was singled out for praise, his deep voice capturing the character of the notorious Edinburgh doctor. However, de Chenu's success on stage was beginning to take its toll on his studies, and he was forced to make a decision between acting and architecture. He chose the latter and graduated in 1949 with an honours degree, along with the prestigious Downes medal for architecture.
He then spent two years working in a private practice, before joining the Office of Public Works (OPW) in 1951. Working under the direction of Basil Boyd Barrett (qv) in the national schools section of the OPW, he was solely responsible for designing Carraroe national school and assembly hall, Co. Galway, in the early 1950s. On account of his artistic and management skills, he was asked in 1954 to assist the principal architect, Raymond McGrath (qv), in designing an Irish embassy in Paris. McGrath had already designed embassies in London and Rome, and his choosing de Chenu spoke volumes for the young architect's growing reputation within the OPW. Hôtel de Breteuil on Avenue Foch, a late nineteenth-century hôtel particulier of grand scale, was chosen as the embassy building and fitted up with marvellous eighteenth-century boiseries and singeries to complement its lavish interior and impressive marble staircases. De Chenu admitted candidly in later years that working with McGrath in Paris was at first an intimidating and difficult experience, since he had never before met 'this austere man' until arriving at Dublin airport. In personalities they were polar opposites: de Chenu, full of chat and Gallic flair; McGrath, a serious man of few words. Over the course of time, however, they did 'consolidate a bond, at first of understanding and then of friendship' (de Chenu, (1998), 199). De Chenu's overall contribution to the Paris project was significant, and McGrath subsequently appointed him to undertake similar work in Moscow, Brussels and the Hague.
Growing responsibilities within the OPW however, did not diminish de Chenu's love of acting and, within the constraints of a busy work schedule, he still managed to find time for the stage. His involvement with the UCD dramatic society continued through the 1950s, and in 1954 he caught the eye once again, playing Thomas Becket in 'Murder in the cathedral'. A true renaissance man, de Chenu also ventured into writing plays for radio and theatre, and in 1957 won first prize in the Irish Film Society's script-writing competition. Under the pseudonym 'Roger McShane' (his father's Christian, and mother's maiden names), he wrote 'Necropolis', a full-length play, produced and performed under his direction (as McShane) in 1962 by the Lantern Theatre Club, at 43 Upper Mount Street. The play gives an insight into the writer's perception of the Irish civil service through the eyes of the main character, Steevens, a young university-educated architect, artistic and idealistic.
The 1960s were a rather quiet period for the OPW, and de Chenu considered moving abroad. Having secured a suitable position in France, he was then appointed senior architect within the OPW and decided to remain in Ireland. This was the beginning of his rise within the public service, and in 1976 he was appointed deputy principal to the principal architect, Martin D. Burke. In this capacity, de Chenu (the art connoisseur and RHA artist) introduced the 'per cent for art scheme' in 1978, whereby 1 per cent of the OPW's annual building costs, or £12,000, whichever was the lesser sum, was to be spent on the provision of art works in state buildings. This scheme worked extremely well, and was a matter of some pride to de Chenu. In 1980 he succeeded Burke as principal architect. Over the next ten years, he oversaw a number of highly prestigious projects for the OPW, including the conversion of the UCD examination hall at Earlsfort Terrace into the National Concert Hall (1979–81), some major restoration and improvements to Dublin Castle (1984–90), and the transformation of the former Royal College of Science on Merrion Street into Government Buildings (1989–90). The latter project included the installation of state-of-the-art new office accommodation; as a centrepiece for the overall design, a beautiful stained glass window by Evie Hone (qv), 'My four green fields', was installed in the grand entrance hall. For this work, the OPW, under de Chenu's watchful guidance, was awarded the RIAI silver medal for conservation.
The project from which de Chenu derived most pleasure was his involvement with the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA). The museum's installation in the remodelled Royal Hospital, Kilmainham (1990), largely owed its origins to de Chenu's vision. During his previous embassy work in the 1950s, he had been responsible for selecting and purchasing works of art, not just for embassies abroad, but also for state buildings in Ireland. In 1995 he had successfully negotiated the purchase of the Ormond art collection, on behalf of the OPW, for permanent display in Kilkenny Castle. On retiring as principal architect in 1989, he was retained by the OPW as its first art advisor until 2001, and the opportunity of acquiring art works for the IMMA was for de Chenu a labour of love. His efforts over five decades helped the state collection grow from 2,000 to 6,000 works of art.
After the death of his first wife, Noreen McGilligan, with whom he had two children, Daniel (b. 1962) and Clare (b. 1966), de Chenu married Mary Donohoe in 1981, with whom he had a son, Christian. He was elected a full member of the RHA in 1987, and appointed RHA professor of architecture in 1997. A man of wide-ranging interests, he was a keen collector of books, stamps and coins, and loved travel (especially to France and Italy), and good food, wine and company. Having retired as special arts advisor to the OPW in 2001, de Chenu died on 4 October 2002 from complications arising from Parkinson's disease at St James's Hospital, Dublin. He was survived by his wife and three children.