Museums are designed to house intricate artefacts, fascinating objects from throughout history, and beautiful works of art, but the buildings themselves are often worth an ogle, too.
Prix Versailles, a prestigious architecture and design award, has just recognised seven of the most beautiful new openings or freshly renovated spaces from all over the world. The selection jury said each inclusion is ‘the product of meticulous, long-term work based on a rigorous, artistic design that was developed at the initiative and in service of an authentic approach focused on heritage and scenery.’
One of these is the Grand Palais in Paris, the dazzling capital that recently topped Time Out’s list of the best cities in the world for culture.
The building has an ornate glass dome ceiling and was originally constructed for the 1900 Universal Exhibition. It reopened in 2021 after four years of renovation.
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‘Inside, the upper gallery running around the entire interior has been preserved and enhanced,’ reads Prix Versailles’s report. ‘That walkway serves as a real promenade that establishes a striking link between the building’s past, present and future, simply by means of its architecture which can be admired there down to the last detail, giving visitors an educational vision of the history of Paris.’
The Saka Museum, a spiritual space that guides visitors through various Balinese cultural practices and expressions, is also included. We named it one of the best new museums last year, so it’s safe to say we agree.
Elsewhere on the list is Kunstsilo, an art museum perched on the quayside in Kristiansand, Norway, which was formerly a grains mill.
Check out the rest of the list below, or read more on the Prix Versailles webpage.
These are the world’s most beautiful museums
- Grand Palais, Paris
- Saka Museum, Bali
- Audeum, Seoul
- Kunstsilo, Kristiansand
- Diriyah Art Futures, Riyadh
- Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland
- Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha
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