Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Sommier buildings, located at 20 and 22 rue de l'Arcade in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, replace the former small hotel of Soubise, built in the 18th century by Pierre Contant d'Ivry for the Marshal of Soubie. The latter, which was brought to light in 1780 by Jacques Cellier, was shaved in 1825 for the drilling of the rue de Castellane. The plot was acquired by Pierre-Alexandre Sommier, a sugar refiner, who built two buildings between 1858 and 1860 under the direction of architect Joseph-Michel Le Soufaché.

The ensemble, inspired by the eighteenth century, consists of an anterior body on the street and a posterior body between courtyard and garden, connected by symmetrical wings. The interior decorations, including the ground floor lounges, combine rock and neoclassicism, with paintings copying works by Lorrain, Boucher or Tremolières. Alfred Sommier, son of Pierre-Alexandre, lived there until 1873 before acquiring the castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte, which he restated.

The 20 rue de l'Arcade, remained in the Sommier family, was transformed into a five-star hotel in 2018 by Richard de Warren de Rosanbo, descendant of Alfred Sommier. Historical facades, roofs, stairs and lounges have been protected since December 2023 as part of the Historic Monuments. The architecture reflects the opulence of the Second Empire and the influence of the previous century's private hotels.

The Alfred Sommier Hotel, now accessible to the public, retains original elements such as the metal ramped stone stairs and painted ceilings. Its location, between the church of Madeleine and Boulevard Haussmann, makes it a testament to the aristocratic and bourgeois Paris of the 19th century.

The buildings illustrate the transition between the architectural heritage of the eighteenth century and Haussmannian innovations, while embodying the social ascent of industrial families such as the Sommier, linked to the sugar industry and the restoration of French heritage.

External links