Musée du Quai Branly – Paris

This rather new museum, which opened in 2006, is located near the Eiffel Tower (Rue de l’Université), was built by Jean Nouvel and is a total contrast to the surrounding buildings with its modern architecture. The museum presents works by indigenous peoples from Africa, Oceania, Asia and the Americas.

Even if you’re not interested in the Musée du Quai Branly per se, it’s worth a short visit. The museum is located behind a glass noise barrier and before you reach the ticket counters, you pass through a tropical-looking garden. This garden is around 18,000 m2 in size and was designed by landscape architect Gilles Clément. It almost feels like you’re immersed in another world. In the garden, acoustic noises such as birdsong and animal sounds create a “jungle feeling”.

Also worth seeing is the museum’s green façade along Rue de l’Université, the work of Patrick Blanc. I think the greening of the new façade makes for a less harsh transition to the adjacent older building. The whole thing seems very harmonious to me.