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Mucem, photo by Patafisik.

Top 10 Astonishing Facts about MuCEM

The MuCEM opened its doors in June 2013 while Marseille was European Capital of Culture located at the entrance of the vieux port, in front of a medieval fortress. The new Museum of European and Mediterranean Cultures is a 15,000 square meter shelter and showcases the Mediterranean civilizations as part of European Culture.

After its opening, the MuCEM has become a source of knowledge and attraction. In addition it has become one of the world’s 50 most visited museums associated with anthropology, history, archaeology, art history and contemporary art. The public visit the museum participate in amazing exhibitions both temporary an permanent, interesting debates, films, documentaries, lectures, performing arts and readings. The MuCEM is also known for its unique architecture and offers the public tours, audio-guides, family tours, and even a cookery school at the Môle Passédat, in Fort Saint-Jean. Here are some Astonishing Facts about MuCEM.

1.The museum is housed in an ultra-modern building

The architecture, Rudy Ricciotti , was influenced by the Mediterranean culture when designing the building. it is housed in an ultra-modern building that portrays a unique architecture making the museum impressive both inside and out. Surrounding the MuCEM are the historic harbor in the city center, open-air theater, beautiful gardens and restaurants playing an important role to its ultra-modern look.

2.It takes a particular color depending on the time of day and weather

MUCEM Museum, Marseille, France, photo by guerinf.

Depending on the weather and time of day, the MuCEM takes on a different color. On sunny days especially, there is a beautiful interplay between light and shadow in the whimsical shapes of the facade. This feature is credited to Rudy Ricciotti, the Algerian-French architect who designed the museum, was greatly influenced by different Mediterranean cultures. From the building’s structure the there is an influence of French culture, while the shapes assume a North African culture.

3.It is cleverly connected to the city

Photo by Baptiste on

There is a narrow footbridge that is high above the water connecting the museum to the city. The bridge creates a link between the museum and the historic Fort Saint-Jean. It does so connecting the ultra-modern structure of the museum to the classic inspiration of the fort. Tourists and visitors explore exhibition rooms and a second bridge that connects the complex to the rest of the city from the fort forming a link between the waterfront and higher-lying section of the city.

4.It is the first museum dedicated to the Mediterranean civilizations of the 21st century

The MuCEM opened its doors in June 7^th 2013 while Marseille was European Capital of Culture located at the entrance of the vieux port, in front of a medieval. It is now one of the most visited museums in Marseille with nearly 2 million visitors per year rich with knowledge of the Mediterranean civilizations of the 21st century. The first level of the museum is devoted to the Mediterranean world, its diversity and complexity.  Visitors can enjoy and learn more about the culture through special exhibitions, conferences, seminars, talks, workshops, film screenings, concerts, and live performances.

5.The museum is divided into 3 distinct sites

The sites include J4, Fort St Jean and the last site which is a total of nearly 40,000 m2 of space dedicated to the civilizations of the Mediterranean basin with nearly one million works. J4 houses contain exhibition area, an auditorium, a bookshop and a panoramic restaurant with an amazing view. There is a 3600 m² of exhibition space on two levels to present the major events of the MUCEM. Fort Saint Jean is connected to J4 by a footbridge giving a beautiful view of the whole city and a landscaped garden.

6.The MuCEM’s collection is composed of nearly a million exhibits

The exhibitions in the museum were transferred entirety from the Paris Museum of Arts and Popular Traditions to Marseille. The MuCEM provides a complete overview of the culture dedicated to the Mediterranean civilizations of the 21st century. These exhibitions are mostly permanent exhibition on the ground floor retraces, while on the first floor, there are two annual exhibitions dedicated to civilizations, cities and the people who made the Mediterranean what it is. The collection of the museum is largely based on those of the former Musée national des arts et traditions populaires in Paris, which was moved to Marseille in 2005.

7.It is listed among the world’s 50 most visited museums

MUCEM Museum, Marseille, France, photo by Guerinf.

The MuCEM’s attractive collection is composed of Anthropology, history, archaeology, art history and contemporary art. This collection provides a veritable city of knowledge and interaction, where the public is provided with tools for reflection as well as the permanent and temporary exhibitions, debates, lectures, documentaries, performing arts, readings, films and historical artifacts.

8.The museum was built  of  stone, water and glass

Photo by Baptiste on

The museum was designed by architect Rudy Ricciotti in collaboration with the architect Roland Carta, a cube of 15,000 square meters (160,000 sq. ft.) surrounded by a latticework shell of fiber-reinforced concrete. The south-eastern and south-western sides of the J4 are clad with a quite peculiar fiber-reinforced-concrete latticework, a sun-shading skin whose texture evokes the caustic reflections of water, while the two north-facing facades are made in glass.  The museum houses exhibits on two levels, with an underground auditorium seating of 400 while the permanent collection and bookshop are situated on the ground floor.

9.Rudy Ricciotti’s J4 building in the museum

Rudy Ricciotti is an architect influenced by Mediterranean culture who was a French born in Algeria from Italian parents in 1952. He named the building he designed J4 consisting of two square boxes one inside the other. The outer box has got 72-meter-long / 236-foot-long sides and a height of 19 meters (62 feet), and the inner one 52 meters / 170 feet per side. The first is clad on its south-eastern and south-western sides with a quite peculiar fiber-reinforced-concrete latticework, a sun-shading skin whose texture evokes the caustic reflections of water, while the two north-facing facades are made in glass.

The internal box is completely clad with glass panels, instead. Between the two volumes, a large gap contains two long ramps that connect all levels of the building, from the ground floor up to the roof terrace. Generally, the J4 building contains 3,690 square meters of permanent and temporary exhibition galleries, a children’s space, a library, a 335-seat auditorium, a restaurant with a panoramic terrace, offices, workshops, and storage rooms.

10.It comprises objects from the Mediterranean area and beyond

The museum focuses particularly on the South-European, North-African, and Middle-Eastern civilizations from prehistory to the present however, the MUCEM collection also comprises of objects from the Mediterranean area and beyond such as historical artifacts, everyday objects, artworks, garments, musical instruments, vehicles, religious objects, photographs, books, and prints.

The museum is open to the public with most of the reserves accessible. The Visitors can also take advantage of a documentary area and a temporary exhibition space. It is also accessible to physically, visually, hearing, and mentally impaired people with features of two restaurants operated by Michelin three-star chef Gérald Passedat, a cafe, and a takeaway food kiosk.