Institut du Monde Arabe is worth
visiting for what’s outside and on top of it as much as what’s inside.
The large rooftop terrace provides
stunning vistas of Paris landmarks – including Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur and
Centre Pompidou.
Taking in fresh air, free of the
endless cigarette smoke and automobile exhaust that permeates street level
Paris, is worth the price of admission.
The modernist building features at
least a half dozen large, modern elevators – a great feature for visitors who
uses wheelchairs.
Unlike older museums in Paris, where
the lifts are hidden away in corners, the elevator core is logically and
usefully in the center of the building.
The Arab World Institute features
permanent and visiting exhibits, a huge gift shop/book store with premium
items, a rooftop celebrity-run restaurant and Arab geometric pattern-inspired
modern architecture by star designer Jean Nouvel.
“From an urban point of view the
Institute is a hinge between two cultures and two histories. If the south side
of the building, with its motorized diaphragms, is a contemporary expression of
eastern culture, the north side is a literal mirror of western culture: images
of the Parisian cityscape across the Seine are enamelled on the exterior glass
like chemicals over a photographic plate. These patterns of lines and markings
on the same façade are an echo of contemporary art.” –Jean Nouvel.
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