Alfred-Philibert Aldrophe (1834–1895) was a French architect.

Biography

Born in Paris, he worked on the Great Exhibitions held in the city in 1855 and 1867. As the architect of the Consistory of Paris, in 1867 he began construction of the Grand Synagogue of Paris

Grand Synagogue of Paris

The Grande Synagogue of Paris generally known as Synagogue de la Victoire or Grande Synagogue de la Victoire is situiateed at 44, Rue de la Victoire, in the 9th arrondissement.-History:...

 which opened in 1874, and became available for public worship in 1875. The Synagogue

Synagogue

A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...

 is in a Romanesque style, with flowers, embellished with Byzantine ornamentation. In 1886, he also built the Versailles Synagogue

Versailles Synagogue

The Versailles Synagogue is situated at 10, rue Albert Joly in Versailles in the Department of Yvelines. It is one of the oldest Synagogues in the Île-de-France...

, in the novel style.

He became the architect of Gustave de Rothschild, and built for him, between 1873 and 1883, his mansion, 23, Avenue de Marigny (now state property, annexed to the Palais de l'Élysée). After an initial phase of work, from 1873, a wing back pierced by a gate giving access to the courtyard was erected on the Avenue de Marigny, and another building was constructed along the street. Along this building, located in back yard, were Corinthian columns and a pediment carved from the former Hotel Choiseul. The Hotel de Marigny consists of a main building and a wing back to two levels above a basement housing services. The access door to the vestibule incorporates two sockets on the ground floor, while in the upper part, four Corinthian columns framing a bay and two niches and support coaching and pediment.

Aldrophe also built for Gustave de Rothschild, in 1880, the Hayes Castle known as The Versini, Saint-Maximin, near Chantilly Oise.

He built the School Gustave de Rothschild, Rue Claude Bernard in Paris 5th Arrondisement.

In 1873, recommended by the Rothschilds, he built the Hotel Thiers, place Saint-Georges in Paris 9th Arrondisement, today Dosne-Thiers Foundation, Institute of France. Pedimented facades topped by a balustrade inspired Louis XVI popular style around 1870.

In 1894, he proposed a series of projects for an elegant mansion, adorned with Ionic columns of colossal order for Mr. Alphonse Falco on a plot 39, avenue Henri-Martin in Paris 16th Arrondissement.

Aldrophe died at Paris in 1895.

Sources

• Dominique Jarrassé: Guide du patrimoine juif parisien. Parigramme, Paris 2003, ISBN 978-2-84096-247-2
• Jean Colson/Marie-Christine Lauroa (Hrsg.): Dictionnaire des monuments de Paris. Editions Hervas, Paris 2003 (1. Auflage 1992), ISBN 2-84334-001-2