Vasarely

Vasarely’s architectural integrations and his works in public space

Victor Vasarely’s approach was grounded in the principle of uniting art, design, and architecture within a democratic framework that made art accessible to all. Rooted in the interwar Constructivist pursuit of socially engaged art, his vision sought to integrate artistic expression seamlessly into the urban environment. Although the term Cité Polychrome—referring to the aesthetic enhancement of the urban landscape—appeared in his notes as early as 1956, it was fully elaborated in his book Plasti-Cité (1970).

His first architectural commission came in 1954 at the Central University of Venezuela, within the “Synthesis of the Arts” project. Followed by this experience, Vasarely organized Le Mouvement (1955) at the Galerie Denise René in Paris, where his Manifeste Jaune (Yellow Manifesto) argued for the reproducibility of art and defined the artist as a plasticien (“space-focused visual artist”) rather than a painter. Vasarely proposed a modular system of “plastic units” (unités plastiques)—geometric color-form elements that could be assembled algorithmically to generate infinite variations. This modularity, he believed, offered a universal, nonverbal “planetary folklore” capable of harmonizing his abstract system with the civic space.

In 1958, Vasarely began his first Parisian integrations in collaboration with architect Jean Ginsberg, creating a stepped ceramic wall on rue Camou, a version of Tlinko on Avenue de Versailles, and an aluminum wall relief on Boulevard Lannes. From this period onward, he expanded his architectural interventions internationally, carrying his vision to Western and Eastern Europe, Mexico, Canada, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. His projects encompassed railway stations such as Paris Gare Montparnasse and Budapest Déli Pályaudvar; universities including Aix-Marseille, Sorbonne’s Jussieu Campus in Paris, Paul-Valéry in Montpellier, and the Universities of Essen, Bochum, and Bonn; as well as corporate buildings like RTL in Paris, Zellweger Park Ltd in Uster, Switzerland, and Rosenthal in Berlin. He also realized projects for a wide range of public and cultural institutions, including the National Theatre in Győr, the Rainier III Auditorium in Monte Carlo, as well as other notable sites such as the Grenoble Winter Olympics speed-skating ring, the Parroquia del Señor de la Resurrección in Mexico City, and the portrait of Georges Pompidou in the lobby of the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Several of these works were co-designed with his son, Yvaral (Jean-Pierre Vasarely).

Márton Orosz

Rue Camou, Paris
1958

Pierre Cardin model in front of Vasarely’s architectural integration, Rue Camou, Paris — Pierre Cardin model in front of Rue Camou, Paris, 1958

architectural integration Vasarely with Jean Ginsberg, Rue Camou — Collaboration with Jean Ginsberg, Rue Camou, Paris, 1958

Boulevard Lannes, Paris
1960

Tabor (Para-vista), Campus de Jussieu (Sorbonne), Paris
Colored lacquered blades.
1967

Architectural integration titled Para-Vista by Vasarely at the campus de Jussieu in Paris, 1967 — Tabor Para vista Campus de Jussieu Sorbonne, Paris, 1967

Mock-up of the architectural integration by Vasarely titled Para-Vista at the Campus de Jussieu in Paris, 1967 — Mockup for Para Vista Jussieu Campus, Paris, 1967

Oerveng, RTL Headquarters, Paris
Vasarely & Yvaral collaboration
1971

Vasarely and Yvaral presenting the RTL headquarter facade project 1971 — Vasarely and Yvaral presenting the RTL headquarter facade project, Paris, 1971

RTL building facade design with optical art by Vasarely, Paris, 1971 — RTL facade project, Paris, 1971

Gare Montparnasse, Polychrome wall frescoes, Paris
Vasarely & Yvaral collaboration
1971

Architectural integration by Victor Vasarely at the Gare Montparnasse in Paris, 1971 — Gare Montparnasse, Paris, 1971

Hommage à Georges Pompidou, Centre Pompidou
Vasarely & Yvaral collaboration
1977

Portrait of Georges Pompidou, created by Yvaral and Vasarely for the Centre Pompidou in 1977 — Hommage à Georges Pompidou

Entrance gate, Faculty of Letters and Social sciences, Montpellier
1966

Optical art gate by Victor Vasarely at the Faculty of Letters, Montpellier, 1966 — Faculté des Lettres et sciences humaines, Montpellier, 1966

Capella, Kinetic wall, Grenoble
Speed ring, Olympic Stadium
1968

mur cinétique de Grenoble, intégration architecturale de Vasarely en 1968 — Mur cinétique, Grenoble, 1968

Mur cinétique, intégration architecturale de Vasarely pour les Jeux Olympiques d'hiver de Grenoble en 1968 — Mur Cinétique, Grenoble, 1968

Science faculty of Saint-Jérôme, Marseille
Kroa & Gamma
1972

Architectural integration designed by Victor Vasarely at the Faculty of Science in Marseille, 1972 — Kroa, Faculty of Science, Marseille, 1972

Tri-Hexa (Sculpture-Signal), Flaine
1973

Sculpture Tri-Hexa by Victor Vasarely in Flaine, France, 1973 — Tri-Hexa, Flaine, 1973

Victor Vasarely, Tri-Hexa, geometric outdoor sculpture in Flaine, 1973 — Tri-Hexa, Flaine, 1973

Sculptures Postes & Télécommunications
1977-1978

Victor Vasarely, Sculpture Postes and telecommunicatins, geometric outdoor sculpture, 1978 — Sculpture PTT, 1978

Op art sculpture Sculpture PTT by Vasarely, 1978 — Sculpture PTT, 1978

Victor Vasarely, Sculpture PTT, Op art geometric outdoor sculpture, 1977 — Hommage à l'hexagone Grambois, 1977

Victor Vasarely, Sculpture PTT, Op art geometric outdoor sculpture, 1978 — Sculpture PTT, 1978

Vascoeuil Castle, Normandy

Hommage à l’Hexagone by Victor Vasarely, outdoor cubic sculpture in Chateau de Vascœuil, Normandy, 1982 — Hommage à l'hexagone, Chateau de Vascœuil, 1982

Hexa VP by Victor Vasarely, cubic outdoor sculpture in Chateau de Vascœuil, 1982 — Hexa VP, Chateau de Vascœuil, 1982

Op art kinetic sculpture Hommage à Malevich by Vasarely, Chateau de Vascœuil, Normandy, 1974 — Hommage à Malevich, Chateau de Vascœuil, 1974

Vascœuil Castle Logo

Op art Vasarely mosaic, Chateau de Vascœuil, Normandy, 1974 — Vascœuil Castle Mosaic

Biome, Merieux laboratory, Lyon
Vasarely & Yvaral collaboration
1988

Victor Vasarely, Biome, monumental geometric sculpture, Laboratoire Mérieux, Lyon, 1988 — Laboratoire Merieux, Lyon, 1988

Biome by Victor Vasarely, colorful cubic abstract artwork, 56 x 40 cm, 1988 — Biome, 1988, 56 x 40 cm

Bio Mérieux project by Yvaral, preparatory drawing with geometric hexagonal grid and color codes — Bio Merieux Programmation, Yvaral

Hexa Grace, Monaco auditorium
Volvic enameled lava
1979

Hexa Grace by Victor Vasarely, large-scale geometric composition at the Grimaldi Forum, Monaco, 1979 — Hexa Grace, Monaco, 1979

Victor Vasarely, Hexa Grace, geometric optical art composition, 1979 — Hexa Grace, print, 1979

Canopus, Paedagogische Hochschule, Essen
1965

Architectural integration by Victor Vasarely titled Canopus at the Paedagogische Hochschule in Essen, 1965 — Canopus, University of Education, Essen, 1965

Canopus by Victor Vasarely, geometric mural at Essen University of Education, 1965 — Canopus, University of Education, Essen, 1965

Riu-Kiu, Bonn University
Vasarely & Yvaral collaboration
1968

Riu Kiu by Victor Vasarely, large-scale black and white optical art facade, Bonn University, 1968 — Riu Kiu, Bonn University, 1968

Riu-Kiu architectural integration by Victor Vasarely at the Bonn University, 1968 — Riu Kiu, Bonn University, 1968

Ruhr University, Bochum (RFA)
Vasarely & Yvaral collaboration
1971

Architectural integration of Vasarely titled Multi-Vega at the Ruhr University Bochum, 1971 — Multi Vega, Ruhr University Bochum, 1971

Victor Vasarely, Bidim, geometric mural at Ruhr University Bochum, 1971 — Bidim, Ruhr University Bochum, 1971

Deutsche Bundesbank, conference room, Frankfurt RFA
Vasarely & Yvaral collaboration
1971

Geometric wall composition by Vasarely at the Deutsche Bundesbank, Germany, 1971 — Deutsche Bundesbank, Germany, 1971

Rosenthal Studio Haus, Berlin
1978

Rosenthal Studio Haus store located in Berlin and designed by Victor Vasarely, 1978 — Rosenthal Studio Haus, Berlin, 1978

Optical art facade Rosenthal Studio Haus by Vasarely, Berlin, 1978 — Rosenthal Studio Haus, Berlin, 1978

Vasarely porcelain artwork titled NB 22 Caope made by Rosenthal, 198 x 198 cm — Vasarely NB22 Canope by Rosenthal, 198 x 198 cm

Stage curtain, Neustadt Auditorium
Vasarely & Yvaral collaboration
1984

Stage curtain Tapestry by Victor Vasarely, Neustadt auditorium, 1984 — Stage curtain, Tapestry, Neustadt, 1984

Kui-Siu, Gyor Theater, Hungary
1978

Architectural integration of Vasarely titled Kiu-Siu at the National Theatre of Győr, 1978 — Győr National Theater, 1978

Victor Vasarely, Kiu-Siu, geometric mural on Győr National Theatre, 1978 — Győr National Theatre, 1978

Victor Vasarely, Kiu-Siu positif, geometric mural on Győr National Theatre, 1978 — Kiu-Siu positif, Győr, 1978

Budapest Déli station

Hexa 2 by Victor Vasarely, Zsolnay factory ceramics, public sculpture, Deli Train Station, Budapest — Hexa 2, (Zsolnay factory ceramic), Deli Train Station, Budapest, 1976

Hexa 6 by Victor Vasarely, geometric public sculpture, Deli Train Station, Budapest — Hexa 6, Deli Train Station, Budapest, 1986

Kecel, Cultural Center, Lecek
1984

Kecel Cultural Center architectural integration by Victor Vasarely in Lecek, Hungary, 1984 — Kecel Cultural Center, Lecek, 1984

Kecel Cultural Center with large-scale op art mural by Victor Vasarely, Lecek, 1984 — Kecel Cultural Center, Lecek, 1984

Herpain Showroom, Bruxelles
1967

Op art wall design Leyre by Vasarely, Herpain project, 1967 — Leyre, engraved glass, Herpain Showroom , 1967

Op art wall mural Collage by Vasarely and Yvaral, Herpain company Showroom, Brussels — Collage on panel, co-signed Vasarely/Yvaral, Herpain Showroom

Op art kinetic screen sculpture by Vasarely installed in Herpain company Showroom, Brussels — Kinetic screen, Herpain Showroom

Gestalt, Zellweger Park, Zurich
1971

Gestalt by Victor Vasarely, colorful optical art wall composition, Zellweger Park, 1971 — Gestalt, Zellweger Park, 1971

Tridim (Sculpture-Signal), Neuchâtel, Suisse
1974

Tridim by Victor Vasarely, colorful cubic and circular op art sculpture, Neuchâtel, 1974 — Tridim, Neuchâtel, 1974

Caracas University, Venezuela
1954

Architectural Integration of Vasarely titled Positif-Négatif at the Caracas University, 1954 — Positif-Négatif, Caracas University, 1954

Architectural Integration of Vasarely titled Hommage à Malevich at the Caracas University, 1954 — Hommage à Malevitch, Caracas University, 1954

Architectural integration of Vasarely, titled Sophia at the Caracas University, 1954 — Sophia, Caracas University, 1954

In 1954, Vasarely took part in Carlos Raúl Villanueva’s “Synthesis of the Arts” project at the Central University of Venezuela in Caracas. During this commission, he created several major works: Homage to Malevich, a large ceramic-tile mural with a rhombus jutting into space, suggesting a temporal-spatial dimension; Sophia, a set of three ceramic panels based on his Naissances composition, which relies on the illusory movement of rhythmically repeated planar lines; and Positive-Negative, a perforated aluminum relief of overlapping geometric shapes that created optical illusions as people moved past it. These works represented the artist’s first attempt to translate his compositions into three-dimensional space in a public context, aligned with his theoretical framework by foreshadowing his 1955 Manifeste Jaune (Yellow Manifesto), in which Vasarely spearheaded the concept of polychromatic abstraction realized through architectural means.