Aubette: Theo van Doesburg's Neoplasticist Gesamtkunstwerk in Strasbourg

The Aubette in Strasbourg, France, originally an 18th-century military building, was transformed in the 1920s into a pioneering Neoplasticist total work of art by Theo van Doesburg, Jean Arp, and Sophie Taeuber-Arp. Commissioned by brothers Paul and Andre Horn as a leisure center, the project spanned four levels and included spaces like a tea room, cine-dancing, and restaurant. Despite its radical geometric design, the public found it too avant-garde, leading to the covering of the decor by 1938. Restoration efforts began in the 1960s, with the staircase and cine club classified as historic monuments in 1985, followed by the foyer bar and function room in 1989. The restored first floor opened to the public in 2006 with free admission.