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BALLU, Théodore - b. 1817 Paris, d. 1885 Paris - WGA

BALLU, Théodore

(b. 1817 Paris, d. 1885 Paris)

French architect. He won the Prix de Rome in 1840. The young laureate then left Paris and boarded at the Académie de France a Rome. He lived there from 1841 to 1845 and studied the ruins of Antiquity.

Back in France, Théodore Ballu became an assistant to German-born architect Franz Christian Gau (1790-1853) on the Basilique Sainte-Clotilde construction site, then took charge after Gau’s death in 1853. From then on, his career was much focused on his preference for religious buildings.

In 1860, he was named chief architect of Parisian buildings related to the religion. He then designed the Église de la Trinité (1861-67), the Saint-Esprit temple on Rue Roquépine, and the churches of Saint-Ambroise (1863-69) and Saint-Joseph (1866-75). He also directed the Saint-Jacques Tower restoration (1854-58) and the construction of the Saint-Denis church in Argenteuil (1866). From 1858 to 1863, Théodore Ballu designed and created the belfry of the Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois church.

Exterior view
Exterior view by

Exterior view

The Gothic Revival asserted itself in current architectural development relatively late in France. After the establishment in 1837 of the Commission des monuments historiques, work started on systematically restoring important monuments such as the Sainte-Chapelle and cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris. However, it was only in 1845 that work was begun on the first newbuild church in Paris, the Sainte-Clotilde.

The German-born architect Franz Christian Gau had already submitted a project in 1839, but in the end had to leave the execution to his colleague Th�odore Ballu, who made alterations to the towers. The stately west front with its twin steeples and expansive triple doorway group and the three-story elevation of the interior re-introduce motifs of 13th-century cathedral Gothic, but translated into a flatter, linear version, in which the Neoclassical tone is still evident. Contemporary champions of the Gothic Revival accused the church of being overloaded in detail with sculptures and stained glass windows.

The photo shows the main fa�ade of the church.

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Exterior view
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Exterior view

The photo shows the portals of the main fa�ade.

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Interior view
Interior view by

Interior view

The Gothic Revival asserted itself in current architectural development relatively late in France. After the establishment in 1837 of the Commission des monuments historiques, work started on systematically restoring important monuments such as the Sainte-Chapelle and cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris. However, it was only in 1845 that work was begun on the first newbuild church in Paris, the Sainte-Clotilde.

The German-born architect Franz Christian Gau had already submitted a project in 1839, but in the end had to leave the execution to his colleague Th�odore Ballu, who made alterations to the towers. The stately west front with its twin steeples and expansive triple doorway group and the three-story elevation of the interior re-introduce motifs of 13th-century cathedral Gothic, but translated into a flatter, linear version, in which the Neoclassical tone is still evident. Contemporary champions of the Gothic Revival accused the church of being overloaded in detail with sculptures and stained glass windows.

The photo shows the the view towards the altar.

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