Building the university at the end of the 19th century: the Trasenster Institutes of Lambert-Henri Noppius in Liege (1880-1889)

This research project focuses on the construction of universities in urban settings at the end of the 19th century. It specifically examines the case of the Trasenster Institutes, designed by the architect Lambert-Henri Noppius for the University of Liege between 1880 and 1889. These six buildings, notable landmarks of their city-center, hold significant value in the eyes of the history of architecture, construction and urban development.

These large construction sites and their interactions will provide a new outlook on the university town, then itself 'under construction’. Their study will enhance our understanding of the technologies and techniques from the period being discussed, as well as the experimentations that might have taken place at different sites. Moreover, it will shed light on the actors and practices of the construction sector, witnessing at that point a significant professionalization and a shift between craftsmanship and manufacturing.

This contribution aims to present the research, shedding light on the first results obtained by the research conducted on-site and in archives on the Pharmaceutical Institute.