Talk about being beautiful inside and out – some museums are worth visiting as much for their stunning exteriors as for the fascinating objects they house.
Prix Versailles, a prestigious architectural award that recognises gorgeous airports, campuses, hotels, and other buildings worldwide, has released its 2025 list of the world's most beautiful museums. In this case, beauty is not just skin deep – these museums also demonstrate exceptional harmony with their environment and artefacts.
It's a short and sweet list of just seven museums, and two are from Asia. The first is Bali's Saka Museum, a cultural gem in Ayana Bali that opened in 2023. Prix Versailles highlights how its architectural design "embodies the Balinese philosophy of Giri Segara, the sacred balance between mountain and sea" with a sloping roof that visually connects sky and ocean. The beautiful reflecting pool invites visitors to pause for introspection, creating a fitting atmosphere for the museum's showcase of Balinese traditions in the past and present.
There's lots to check out here, including sensory installations fashioned around Bali's sacred Day of Silence, and a showcase that dives into subak, the island's UNESCO-listed irrigation and water temple systems.
Seoul's Audeum Audio Museum, the world's first dedicated audio museum, also made the list. For a spot dedicated to audio equipment, it's fitting that the museum itself is something of an instrument playing on all senses. Prix Versailles spotlights these sensory experiences: an array of vertical aluminium pipes forms a glittering, waterfall-like facade; the lobby is covered in cool, textured stone, bringing to mind a deep valley; while interior spaces are fitted with wood and filled with the fragrance of Alaskan cypress trees.
The Prix Versailles named five other museums, including Paris's Grand Palais and Riyadh's Diriyah Art Futures. Check out the full list below.
These are the most beautiful museums in the world for 2025, according to Prix Versailles:
- Grand Palais – Paris, France
- Saka Museum – Bali, Indonesia
- Audeum – Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Kunstsilo – Kristiansand, Norway
- Diriyah Art Futures – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Cleveland Museum of Natural History – Cleveland, United States
- Joslyn Art Museum – Omaha, United States
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