 Saint-Augustin, close to the spot where Haussmann was born, was built to provide a counterpoint to the famous columns of La Madeleine at the other end of the boulevard.It was also designed to be visible from the Arc de Triomphe down the avenue de Friedland.The chosen site, an odd shaped lot at the intersection of four streets, and the need for a dome of so as to be visible from the Arc de Triomphe, dictated unusual proportions for the building.