Immeuble Facade

The Lavirotte Building on Avenue Rapp in Paris's 7th arrondissement is among the best-known surviving examples of Art Nouveau architecture in the French capital. The architect Jules Lavirotte designed the apartment building, which was constructed between 1899 and 1901, and in 1901 won the prize for the most original new facade in the neighborhood. This award, given as part of the Paris facade competition, which aimed to move beyond the often monotonous-seeming Haussmann-style residential buildings, catapulted Lavirotte into the ranks of the most famous architects of his day. The building was designated a historic monument in 1964 and still serves today as an impressive showcase for the glazed ceramic tiles developed by the entrepreneur Alexandre Bigot, although according to the building permits he was not the owner of the house.

The facade is richly decorated with sculptures and colorful ceramic tiles, with the upper floors tiled entirely in glazed clay. On the ground and second floors the decoration is plainer, with the exception of the extravagant entrance, which is framed by statues of Adam and Eve as well as a female figure said to be Lavirotte's wife. The doors are adorned with wrought-iron lizards, while the upper floors stand out for their curving windows, twining iron railings, and picturesque balconies. Critics see partly erotic symbolism in the many plant and animal motifs as well as in the shapes of the doors and sculptures, while others see nothing more than artful ornamentation. The architectural style combines Baroque elements with organic patterns and elaborate wrought ironwork, giving the building a rare, freely composed character.

Inside, the Art Nouveau style appears in a more restrained form. The vestibule is defined by marble columns and curved arches leading to a central staircase. This staircase is the decorative heart of the interior, with a railing of undulating iron in exotic plant forms and walls decorated with floral patterns in muted browns, golds, and reds. A smaller staircase on the top floor leads to a roof terrace, while a covered passage on the ground floor leads to a more simply decorated courtyard, whose windows are framed by carved Art Nouveau moldings.