Théâtre des Champs-Élysées

Welcome to Avenue Montaigne, one of the most prestigious thoroughfares in the eighth arrondissement of Paris. Amidst the luxury boutiques stands a building that radically altered the course of modern architecture and performance…

Stand across the street and take in the full facade of the theater. Prior to nineteen thirteen, grand public buildings in Paris were invariably constructed of carved stone, heavily ornamented in the Beaux-Arts or Art Nouveau…

Cross the street and approach the entrance to examine the magnificent sculptural reliefs integrated into the marble facade. These were crafted by Antoine Bourdelle, a former assistant to Auguste Rodin, who successfully adapted…

Step into the grand foyer. While the exterior is characterized by structural severity, the interior spaces reveal a rich, collaborative synthesis of the visual arts. …

Enter the main auditorium. It is a vast, circular space capable of seating nearly two thousand people. …

Stand near the center stalls and imagine the electric evening of May twenty-ninth, nineteen thirteen. It was in this exact hall that the Ballets Russes premiered Igor Stravinsky's 'The Rite of Spring,' choreographed by Vaslav…

Fast forward a decade to nineteen twenty-five. The trauma of the First World War had passed, and Paris was desperate for new rhythms. …

As we conclude our visit to the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, take a final look at Perret's stark marble facade. This building is a profound testament to the power of breaking with tradition. …