Lavirotte Building

The Lavirotte Building on Avenue Rapp is covered in wildly sculpted, fleshy sandstone reliefs that seem to melt over the facade. Jules Lavirotte designed this apartment block for the nineteen hundred World’s Fair to demonstrate the possibilities of reinforced concrete. He covered the structural frame with intricate, erotic carvings and a massive, phallic entryway that scandalized his neighbors. Parisians frequently stopped in the street to gape at the entrance, prompting Lavirotte to win the prize for the most original facade three times.