The Lavirotte Building, 29 avenue Rapp: what to look at on the Art Nouveau façade in the 7th

Question

Accepted Answer

The Lavirotte Building is at 29 avenue Rapp, in the 7th: an Art Nouveau façade in Alexandre Bigot's flamed sandstone, built by Jules Lavirotte in 1900 and awarded the City of Paris façade competition prize in 1901, to be viewed from the street as the building is private.

What it is

It is a six-storey investment building, still inhabited today. Jules Lavirotte built it in 1900 for the ceramicist Alexandre Bigot, and the façade decoration also served as a showroom for Bigot: the entire surface is in flamed sandstone. The sculptures are by Théobald-Joseph Sporrer, Firmin Michelet, Alfred Jean Halou and Jean-Baptiste Larrivé. In 1901, the building won the City of Paris façade competition.

What to look at, once you're there

Start with the entrance door, it's the one everyone photographs. Then, look up and search for the details in the ceramic work: lizards, ox heads, women intertwined with foliage, scrolls. Ten minutes is enough. We recommend going during the day, when the light brings out the reflections in the sandstone.

Can you go inside?

No. The building is private property and remains a residential building, so you view it from the pavement. The street-facing façade and roof have been listed as historic monuments since 1964. In 2015, the protection was extended to the courtyard façades, the entrance hall and the staircase. The building also carries the '20th-century heritage' label.

From our place

We are on avenue Duquesne, in the same arrondissement, and we happily slip avenue Rapp into a walk towards the Champ de Mars and the Seine. Ask us for the route at reception. On your return, our bar, discreet and in a speakeasy spirit, serves classic cocktails.