Alexander Vallaury
Encyclopedia
Alexander Vallaury was a French
-Ottoman
architect, who founded architectural education and lectured in the School of Fine Arts in Constantinople (Istanbul
), Ottoman Empire
.
He was born 1850 into a Levantine family in Istanbul. His father, Francesco Vallaury, was a renowned pastrycook, respected much in the court circles. The nationality of Alexander is not exactly known, however, it is assumed that he is of French
extraction due to his affinity to French culture.
Alexander Vallaury spent his time between 1869 and 1878 in Paris
, France
, where he studied architecture at École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts
. Returned 1880 to Istanbul, he met Osman Hamdi Bey
, who was at that time curator
of the newly established "Empire Museum" , which is today Istanbul Archaeology Museum
, during an exhibition of his relief drawings of various architectural monuments. The two artists worked closely in the fields of archaeology
, museum work and education in fine arts.
Following the foundation of the first School of Fine Arts ("Sanayi-i Nefise Mektebi") in Turkey on January 1, 1882,
Alexander Vallaury was appointed with the establishment of the architecture department of the school, which is today Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts
. He lectured 25 years long at the school until his retirement in 1908.
In 1896, he was awarded with the French order Légion d'honneur
together with many other medals and awards from the French and Ottoman governments. Following the 1894 Istanbul earthquake, he was appointed to work in various commissions for city planning. Remembered by Osman Bey as the "City Architect" (Mimar-ı Şehir), Vallaury became the architect invariably chosen by the upper echelons of Ottoman high officials and French business circles during the time he was an instructor at the School of Fine Arts. On some of the projects he fulfilled for these circles, he was joined by the Italian
architect Raimondo Tommaso D'Aronco
, the chief architect at the sultan
's palace.
Vallaury combined the traditional Ottoman architecture with the elements of Beaux-Arts architecture in his designs of buildings made for the members of the palace and for the high officials in Istanbul. His architectural approach shows variety in a broad spectrum from Islam
ic-Ottoman
synthesis to Neoclassical architecture
. He used also motifs of international Orientalism
at some Neo-Renaissance
and Neo-Ottoman elements. Particularly in his buildings of Neo-Ottoman design, Neo-Baroque and Art Nouveau
details take place.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
-Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
architect, who founded architectural education and lectured in the School of Fine Arts in Constantinople (Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
), Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
.
He was born 1850 into a Levantine family in Istanbul. His father, Francesco Vallaury, was a renowned pastrycook, respected much in the court circles. The nationality of Alexander is not exactly known, however, it is assumed that he is of French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
extraction due to his affinity to French culture.
Alexander Vallaury spent his time between 1869 and 1878 in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, where he studied architecture at École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts
École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts
The École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-arts is the distinguished National School of Fine Arts in Paris, France.The École des Beaux-arts is made up of a vast complex of buildings located at 14 rue Bonaparte, between the quai Malaquais and the rue Bonaparte, in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Près,...
. Returned 1880 to Istanbul, he met Osman Hamdi Bey
Osman Hamdi Bey
Osman Hamdi Bey was an Ottoman statesman, intellectual, art expert and also a prominent and pioneering Turkish painter. He was also an accomplished archaeologist, and is considered as the pioneer of the museum curator's profession in Turkey...
, who was at that time curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
of the newly established "Empire Museum" , which is today Istanbul Archaeology Museum
Istanbul Archaeology Museum
The Istanbul Archaeology Museums is a group of three archeological museums located in the Eminönü district of Istanbul, Turkey, near Gülhane Park and Topkapı Palace.The Istanbul Archaeology Museums consists of three museums....
, during an exhibition of his relief drawings of various architectural monuments. The two artists worked closely in the fields of archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
, museum work and education in fine arts.
Following the foundation of the first School of Fine Arts ("Sanayi-i Nefise Mektebi") in Turkey on January 1, 1882,
Alexander Vallaury was appointed with the establishment of the architecture department of the school, which is today Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts
Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts
Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University is a Turkish state university dedicated to the higher education of fine arts. It is located in the Fındıklı neighborhood of İstanbul, Turkey.-History:...
. He lectured 25 years long at the school until his retirement in 1908.
In 1896, he was awarded with the French order Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
together with many other medals and awards from the French and Ottoman governments. Following the 1894 Istanbul earthquake, he was appointed to work in various commissions for city planning. Remembered by Osman Bey as the "City Architect" (Mimar-ı Şehir), Vallaury became the architect invariably chosen by the upper echelons of Ottoman high officials and French business circles during the time he was an instructor at the School of Fine Arts. On some of the projects he fulfilled for these circles, he was joined by the Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
architect Raimondo Tommaso D'Aronco
Raimondo Tommaso D'Aronco
Raimondo Tommaso D’Aronco was an Italian architect renowned for his building designs in the style of Art Nouveau. He was the chief palace architect to the Ottoman Sultan Abdülhamid II in Istanbul, Turkey for 16 years.- Early years :...
, the chief architect at the sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
's palace.
Vallaury combined the traditional Ottoman architecture with the elements of Beaux-Arts architecture in his designs of buildings made for the members of the palace and for the high officials in Istanbul. His architectural approach shows variety in a broad spectrum from Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic-Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
synthesis to Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
. He used also motifs of international Orientalism
Orientalism
Orientalism is a term used for the imitation or depiction of aspects of Eastern cultures in the West by writers, designers and artists, as well as having other meanings...
at some Neo-Renaissance
Neo-Renaissance
Renaissance Revival is an all-encompassing designation that covers many 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Grecian nor Gothic but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range of classicizing Italian modes...
and Neo-Ottoman elements. Particularly in his buildings of Neo-Ottoman design, Neo-Baroque and Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
details take place.
Notable works
- Café Lebon (from 1940 on Café Marquise - Markiz Pastanesi) (1880) - BeyoğluBeyogluBeyoğlu is a district located on the European side of İstanbul, Turkey, separated from the old city by the Golden Horn...
, Istanbul - Décugis house (today Galata Antique Hotel) (1881) - Şişhane, Istanbul
- Hotel Pera PalaceHotel Pera PalacePera Palace Hotel is an historic special category hotel and museum hotel located in the Beyoğlu district in Istanbul, Turkey. It was built in 1892 for the purpose of hosting the passengers of the Orient Express and was named after the place where it is located...
(1881-1891) -Şişhane, Istanbul - Hidayet Mosque (1887) - EminonuEminönüEminönü is a former district of Istanbul in Turkey, now a neighbourhood of Fatih district. This is the heart of the walled city of Constantine, the focus of a history of incredible richness. Eminönü covers the point on which the Byzantine capital was built. The Galata Bridge crosses the Golden Horn...
, Istanbul - Imperial Ottoman BankOttoman BankThe Ottoman Bank was founded in 1856 in the Galata business section of İstanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, as a joint venture between British interests, the Banque de Paris et des Pays-Bas of France, and the Ottoman government.The opening capital of the Bank consisted of 135,000 shares,...
Headquarters (1890) - KaraköyKaraköyKaraköy, the modern name for the ancient Galata, is a commercial neighborhood in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, Turkey, located at the northern part of the Golden Horn mouth on the European side of Bosphorus....
, Istanbul - Main building of Istanbul Archaeology MuseumIstanbul Archaeology MuseumThe Istanbul Archaeology Museums is a group of three archeological museums located in the Eminönü district of Istanbul, Turkey, near Gülhane Park and Topkapı Palace.The Istanbul Archaeology Museums consists of three museums....
(1891-1907) - Sultanahmet, Istanbul - Imperial Military School of Medicine (later Haydarpasa Lycee, today Marmara UniversityMarmara UniversityMarmara University is a public university in Turkey. Situated in Istanbul, Marmara University has succeeded in becoming the second largest university in the whole country...
, Faculty of Law) (with Raimondo Tommaso D'Aronco) (1893-1902) - Haydarpaşa, Istanbul - Union Francaise building (1896) - Şişhane, Istanbul
- Ottoman Public Debt Administration building (today Istanbul LyceeIstanbul Lisesiİstanbul Lisesi, also commonly known as İstanbul Erkek Lisesi, abbreviated İEL, is one of the oldest and internationally renowned high schools of Turkey. The school is considered elite among Turkish public high schools. Germany recognizes the school as a Deutsche Auslandsschule .İstanbul Lisesi is...
) (1897) - Cağaloğlu, Istanbul - Prinkipo Palace (Buyukada Greek Orphanage) (1898-1899) - BuyukadaBüyükadaBüyükada is the largest of the nine so-called Princes' Islands in the Sea of Marmara, near Istanbul, with an area of about two square miles...
, Istanbul - Hezaren Han (1902) - KarakoyKaraköyKaraköy, the modern name for the ancient Galata, is a commercial neighborhood in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, Turkey, located at the northern part of the Golden Horn mouth on the European side of Bosphorus....
, Istanbul - Omer Abed Han (1902) - KarakoyKaraköyKaraköy, the modern name for the ancient Galata, is a commercial neighborhood in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, Turkey, located at the northern part of the Golden Horn mouth on the European side of Bosphorus....
, Istanbul - Osman Reis Mosque (1903-1904) - SariyerSariyerSarıyer is the northernmost district of Istanbul, Turkey, on the European side of the city. With a long shore along the water, the district boasts both a beautiful coastline and a lush forest. The Sarıyer district is a huge area consisting of the villages on the European side of the Bosphorus from...
, Istanbul - Afif Pasha waterfront house (Muhayyes Yalı), (circa 1910) - YeniköyYenikoyYenikoy is a small village in the Region of Afyonkarahisar in Turkey. It is a traditional Anatolian village. Its local government is a Muhtarlik...
, İstanbul