Henri Charles Deneux was born in Reims in 1874. At age 17, he entered the architects' office Thierot and Margotin, responsible for work on religious buildings. In 1915 he was appointed as the chief architect of Reims Cathedral, after the bombings and fire of the precedent year. With the help of German prisoners, Deneux began to clear the site. His studio was located in the ruins of the Palace of Tau, adjacent to the construction site. Thanks to donations from American billionaire John Rockefeller between 1924 and 1926, among other benefactors, the architect reconstructed the framework in assembled reinforced concrete elements. His work on Reims Cathedral had him promoted to the rank of Knight of the Legion of Honour and later an officer in 1927.