Toulouse : Terracotta house of Virebent

At the beginning of the 19th century, the architect Virebent introduced an innovative style to Toulouse, deviating from neo-classicism to adopt eclectic and fanciful formulas, using a decorative vocabulary inspired by the facades of the Renaissance and the 17th century. His creativity made it possible to reconnect with one of the oldest local traditions: the use of terracotta. This type of decoration and architecture has been widely disseminated in the Toulouse region thanks to the quasi-industrialization of the production of terracotta elements from a briquettery that the Virebent family owned in Launaguet. The facade of this house is divided into three levels, punctuated by friezes and cornices which support wrought iron balconies, except at the level of the attic. The ground floor has three doors surmounted by semicircular arches. The motif of the bricks has continuous bosses, animated by the alternation of two shades. This same theme is present in the upper levels. On the first floor, each window is flanked by two caryatids on cylindrical bases, while on the second floor, fluted columns with Corinthian capitals replace the figures.