Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations, Mediterranean civilization museum in Old Port area, Marseille, France
The Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations is a museum in the harbor district of Marseille with terraces, exhibition halls, and a distinctive lattice façade of dark concrete. The main building rises directly at the waterfront and connects via two bridges to the historic Fort Saint-Jean, which houses gardens and additional spaces.
The institution was created for 2013, when Marseille became European Capital of Culture, and replaced an older collection that had been kept in Paris until then. The architect Rudy Ricciotti designed the new building on a former harbor site that had remained undeveloped until that point.
The location at the old harbor basin makes the building a meeting point between city and sea, where visitors cross elevated walkways between two separate areas. The interior displays collections on agriculture, crafts, and religion around the Mediterranean, with objects from different periods placed side by side.
The entrance is located at the Esplanade du J4, from where visitors can reach the galleries and then the bridges to the fort. The stairs and ramps are well signposted, although some outdoor areas may be closed depending on weather conditions.
The lattice shell was cast from fiber concrete, a material that allows paper-thin panels while resisting salt air and sun exposure. This technique makes it possible to combine openings and solid surfaces in a single cast piece, so that light falls on floors and walls inside in changing patterns.
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Fort Saint-Jean
270 m
Villa Méditerranée
75 m
Grotte Cosquer
78 m
Eglise Saint-Laurent
216 m
Musée Regards de Provence
213 m
Mémorial des déportations
189 m
Fort Saint-Jean
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75 mLe dresseur d'oursons
238 m
Bench
127 m
Tour du Fanal
139 m
Mémorial des Déportations de la Ville de Marseille
185 m
Scenic viewpoint
248 m
Scenic viewpoint
60 mParvis de Saint-Laurent
214 m
Promenade Louis-Brauquier
197 mSquare Protis
227 mScenic viewpoint
205 mScenic viewpoint
209 mThe Jayet Bear
172 mA Woman’s Voice is Revolution
121 mMARS_58
252 mCommemorative bust, bust, Work of art
188 mScenic viewpoint
124 mMonument aux morts 1-3e cantons
234 mStation sanitaire de Marseille
196 mCannon
126 mCannon
128 mReal people, real opinions — but not verified.
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