Have you ever passed through the Marais and wondered what that curious Art Nouveau edifice on rue Pavée is all about? The answer is the Synagogue de la Rue Pavée, also known as the Agoudas Hakehilos Synagogue.
This is the one and only Art Nouveau building in the entire Marais district. Built in the heart of the Jewish quarter in 1913 at the instigation of the Russian-Polish Agoudas Hakehilos association, the Synagogue Agoudas Hakehilos is the work ofarchitect Hector Guimard, master of the Art Nouveau movement.
The façade is intriguing, to say the least. Undulating, it gives a surprising impression of grandeur to the building, despite the fact that it's wedged between two buildings. The numerous narrow windows and plant motifs also contribute to the Synagogue de la Rue Pavée's uniqueness.
And Guimard didn't stop at the façade alone! He was also responsible for the entire interior decoration: cast-iron railings, woodwork, benches, chandeliers, lighting and stylized plant motifs are all his work. The synagogue owes its interior lighting to the light coming from the large skylight on the ceiling. Inaugurated in 1914, the synagogue was listed as a historic monument in 1989.
The Synagogue de la Rue Pavée can be visited on request, so don't hesitate!
