I1 · Institute of Zoology

This building houses the Aquarium-Muséum (opened to the public in 1962) and the Maison de la Science (inaugurated in 1980), two institutions well known to the people of Liège.

Courses and practical work are regularly organized there. This is particularly the case for students from the Life Sciences Department of the Faculty of Science.

Last but not least, Réjouisciences, a service for sharing and promoting knowledge in the field of science and technology, is also based here.

Building history

For the construction of this building, Professors Van Beneden, Vanlair and Masius collaborated with architect Noppius, in particular to reconcile teaching and research activities with public access to the important collections of the Zoology section (open since 1854). Van Beneden travelled to London and Copenhagen to visit similar institutions and draw inspiration from them. The work lasted a long time, from 1886 to 1889, and was disrupted by numerous setbacks. Students finally took possession of the building in 1894.

The long, Meuse-fronted main façade, 29 bays in all, is interrupted by a monumental five-bay entrance marked by three colossal Ionic columns. The ends of the building are punctuated by two three-bay sections.

The entrance portico and side sections are surmounted by triangular pediments whose decoration, entrusted to the sculptor Léopold Noppius (the architect's brother), features a bust of Charles Darwin surrounded by putti, as well as portraits of Edouard Van Beneden and Théodore Schwann on a background of foliage scrolls.

The Faculty of Science has its own Department of Life Sciences and Réjouisciences, its service for sharing and promoting knowledge in the field of science and technology.

The building is also home to the Aquarium-Muséum (opened to the public in 1962) and the Maison de la Science (inaugurated in 1980), two institutions well known to the people of Liège.