Rue du Jardin Botanique 39

"The Liégeois architect Victor Rogister built this imposing house in 1902 for the painter Jules Alexandre, whose name and profession can be seen on the sgraffito in the center of the facade. Although built during the Art Nouveau period, the house is more in the neo-Gothic and neo-Renaissance style. However, certain ornaments are inspired by Art Nouveau. A sturdy dressed stone base is topped by a wall of ocher sandstone in different tones. The facade in two unequal bays is made of red bricks. The first floor is characterized by two rather imposing oriel windows of different sizes. The top, more modest floor consists of five similar windows topped with blue ceramic panels with small hearts. The two-leaf entrance door is particularly neat, decorated with American stained glass windows and beautiful, very ornate ironwork, note the two little monsters which protect the bottom of the walls. The sgraffito in the center of the facade is framed with hard stone and a sculpted head dear to Victor Rogister. Also note the sgraffito frieze, under the cornice, illustrating seagulls in flight, a subject also found on the Taelemans House (1901) in Brussels."