Stunning new Paris museum

THE NEW Louis Vuitton museum set to open on Monday could be Paris’s “most beautiful”, some commentators think.

Designed by Frank Gehry – famous for the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao – the Fondation Louis Vuitton is made from huge sheets of glass and, seen from one end (pictured) has been described as looking like a giant sailing ship.

November’s Connexion has more on this prestigious new art museum, as well as a new museum of cinema history in the capital – Fondation Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé.

And on Saturday the Picasso Museum is reopening after a major renovation; with twice as much space now opened up to the public at what is the world’s largest collection of the artist’s work.

Art lovers can combine it with a visit to the Fiac contemporary art fair, which is at the Grand Palais until Sunday.

While these venues are all in the capital, there are also exciting new museum projects opening in other parts of France at the end of this year: the Musée des Confluences in Lyon – opening on December 20 – and, the same month, Rouen’s new Panorama XXL.

The Lyon museum, like Fondation Louis Vuitton housed in an impressive new glass structure, tells the story of the Earth and of humanity and houses collections of curiosities built up since the 17th century.

Rouen’s is a giant cylindrical building designed to hold huge artworks – in particular the “panoramic” works of German artist Yadegar Asisi, which are 31m high and 32m across.

Photo: Olevy