Immeuble art nouveau

The Immeuble Lavirotte at twenty-nine Avenue Rapp features a facade of undulating stone and intricate ceramic carvings that seem to drip down the building like molten wax. Architect Jules Lavirotte designed this apartment block in nineteen oh one, intentionally breaking away from the rigid, straight lines typical of Parisian streets. He commissioned sculptor Jean-Baptiste Larrive to fill the exterior with anatomical forms and organic motifs. Tenants once complained about the scandalous nature of the carvings, claiming they offended public decency.