Agoudas Hakehilos Synagogue, Art Nouveau synagogue in Le Marais, Paris, France
The Agoudas Hakehilos Synagogue is a place of worship on rue Pavée in the Marais district of Paris, built in the Art Nouveau style with a narrow four-story facade made of reinforced concrete. The interior is arranged on two levels, with galleries running along both sides of the nave to make use of the limited width of the building.
The synagogue was commissioned in 1913 by a group of Orthodox Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe who had settled in the Marais and needed a permanent place of worship. Construction began during the First World War, and the building was completed shortly after.
The synagogue still holds regular Orthodox services following Ashkenazi traditions, and on Friday evenings or Jewish holidays, worshippers gather at the entrance on rue Pavée. The Marais has been a center of Jewish life in Paris for centuries, and this building remains part of that living presence.
Rue Pavée is a narrow street, so the best way to take in the facade is from directly across the road. Visits inside are generally possible outside of service times, and it is worth avoiding Friday evenings and Jewish holidays if you want to enter.
Hector Guimard, best known for designing the cast-iron entrances of the Paris Métro, took on this building as his only religious commission. He designed not just the facade but every interior fitting as well, treating the space as a single coherent work.
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