Synagogue des Tournelles

The Synagogue des Tournelles sits behind a striking wrought iron gate, its facade dominated by two tall, slender towers topped with bulbous copper domes. It was designed in eighteen seventy-six by the architect Marcellin Varcollier. Before its construction, the Jewish community in this neighborhood gathered in cramped, temporary prayer rooms. Varcollier gave them a permanent home, using a metal frame that allowed for a massive, unobstructed interior space. Gustave Eiffel even provided technical advice on the ironwork used throughout the building.