‘Tower of Fugures’ in Issy-les-Moulineaux, France

Standing outside Paris in Issy-les-Moulineaux is a seventy-eight-foot-tall tower that defies every rule of architecture. Atlas Obscura profiles the Tour aux Figures, created by celebrated French artist Jean Dubuffet and completed in nineteen eighty-eight. The structure is a colorful labyrinth of abstract forms, covered in Dubuffet's signature 'Hourloupe' style—a jigsaw-like pattern of white, black, red, and blue that evokes a child's dream or an alien landscape. Dubuffet designed it as an anti-monument, a playful rejection of traditional sculpture. Inside, a spiral staircase winds to a small observation area, embodying his vision of art as immersive and interactive. Nestled in Parc de l'Île Saint-Germain, this towering masterpiece stands as both a conversation starter and a reminder that creativity knows no bounds.

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