The most beautiful popular museum. The most beautiful and wonderful museums in the world

Museums are not only repositories of the greatest works of art and science, but also, often, independent art objects. For your judgment, the twenty most beautiful museums in the world.

Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar

The museum building in the style of ancient Islamic architecture has a unique design. And it is also the first museum of its kind in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf - the largest collection of Islamic art is stored inside.

State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia

Founded by decree of Catherine the Great in 1794, the luxurious museum complex contains about three million works of art and monuments of world culture, from the Stone Age to the present century.

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, USA

The first building of the museum dates back to 1930. Subsequently, snow-white outside and inside, except for the floors, the complex was significantly expanded.

Museums of Hanoi, Hanoi, Vietnam

Built in 2010, the museum building is located in a park with numerous water features. The square building impresses, above all, with a circular atrium that connects the three floors of the exhibition halls.

Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain

The Museum of Contemporary Art on the banks of the Nervion River was built in 1997 according to the designs of an American-Canadian architect. The building embodies the abstract idea of ​​a futuristic ship, but the central metal atrium, 55 meters high, draws other pictures for people: a bird, an airplane, Superman, an artichoke, or even a blossoming rose.

Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France

The Museum of Fine and Applied Arts is located on the left bank of the Seine and houses one of the world's largest collections of European painting and sculpture from the period 1850-1910.

Kimbell Museum of Contemporary Art, Fort Worth, USA

The modern museum building was designed by a Japanese architect and opened in 2002. The complex consists of five amazing long pavilions with glass walls surrounded by a pond. The museum currently contains over 2,600 works, including works by Picasso and Warhol.

Louisiana Museum of Contemporary Art, Humlebaek, Denmark

The museum in a small town, 35 kilometers north of Copenhagen, houses a huge collection of sculpture and painting from the 20th century. Opened in 1958, the museum is located on a mid-19th-century estate whose owner named the house after his three wives, who, by a surprising coincidence, were named Louise. This is the very first contemporary art museum in Denmark, and it consists of three buildings connected by glass corridors. Beauty is in simplicity! Surrounding the building is a beautifully landscaped sculpture garden set in a valley with huge old trees and amazing sea views.

Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada

The history of the museum dates back to 1857, when a small collection of works of art appeared at the Toronto Normal School. But, first of all, the new part of the building is impressive, which consists of glass and metal and outwardly resembles a giant fantastic crystal soaring upwards. By the way, the museum's collections are amazing: the remains of ancient dinosaurs, and Asian carpets, and paintings by famous European artists, and valuable statues.

Museum "an de Strom", Antwerp, Belgium

The museum complex opened to the public in 2011. The tall building impresses with its design: the design of the building was chosen as part of an international competition, and the building itself was eventually erected on the site of the old port docks, from red sandstone of various shades brought from India. The charm of the complex lies in its spiral staircases, enclosed by thick corrugated glass without metal fittings.

Louvre Museum, Paris, France

Almost everyone knows about the Louvre, and the queues at the museum ticket offices are impressively long at any time of the year. The Louvre is one of the largest art museums in the world, and it is located in the building of an ancient royal palace. One of the most recognizable parts of the complex is the glass pyramid, erected in 1989 in the center of the Napoleonic courtyard.

Natural History Museum, Vienna, Austria

It is one of the largest museums in Austria and one of the most important museums in the world. Opened in 1889, the museum was built to house the vast collections of Habsburg natural artifacts. The building itself is surprisingly rich: luxurious decorative decorations, chic furniture, painted ceilings - a real palace!

Salvador Dali Museum, St. Petersburg, USA

The unique architecture of the museum building would obviously have been to the taste of the great Dali. From the outside, the museum is surreal and unique: the cubic building is standard, but its atrium is lined with mirrored triangles, creating a convex figure of an indistinct shape. Two spiral staircases inside resemble a DNA molecule and pass through the three floors of the museum, which contain the richest collection of the artist's works.

State Historical Museum, Moscow, Russia

Founded in 1872, the museum is located on the northern side of Red Square in the Russian capital. By the Decree of the President of Russia of 1991, the museum was classified as a particularly valuable object of the cultural heritage of the Russian Federation.

Of the many museums in the world, the BBC has ranked the most impressive in visitor surveys.

Musée d'Orsay in Paris, France

The most beautiful French museum is located in Paris on the banks of the Seine. In 1986, the railway station and the hotel in the eclectic Beaux Arts style were redesigned. The original forms have now become the highlight of the museum: the transparent roof lets in a lot of light, the galleries are gathered along the huge nave.

A huge collection of impressionism and post-impressionism is exhibited in d'Orsay, and the museum itself, as conceived by the authors, should cover the gap between the eras between the Louvre with its old collection and the modern canvases of the Pompidou Center.

Guggenheim Museum, Basque Country, Spain

A notable museum of contemporary art in Bilbao was conceived in the 80s, as the authorities of the Basque Country planned to start a spiritual revival. An unusual project by Frank Gehry took first place in the competition, and so on the banks of the Nervion River by 1997, with the support of the Guggenheim Foundation, an unusual structure had grown, covered with smooth titanium plates.

The Guggenheim Museum is called the most outstanding building of our time, its outlines are compared with a starship or a fantasy plant.

Niemeyer Museum in Curitiba, Brazil

The museum bears the name of the Brazilian architect and creator Oscar Niemeyer, who had celebrated his 95th birthday by the time construction was completed. The building, which opened in 2003, received a popular name - "eye" for its unusual shape. On 600 squares of exhibition halls, works by artists from all over the world, as well as the works of Niemeyer, are exhibited.

British Museum in Bloomsbury, London, Britain

Inspired by the temples of ancient Greece, Robert Smerk built in 1852 an innovative neoclassical museum with columns and an original pediment. In 2000, the Great Hall grew nearby - the largest indoor exhibition space in Europe with a glass roof.

Royal Ontario Museum in Canada

This is a symbol of the renewed Toronto of the 21st century, the largest historical museum in the country, which also exhibits cultural and art objects - a total of 6 million items.

The old neo-romantic building in the 30s acquired a new wing, in 2007 - also a new entrance made of metal and glass - "Michael Lee Chin's Crystal", built at the expense of a philanthropist.

Zumaya Museum in Mexico City, Mexico

The new (second) building of the Soumaya Art Museum, built in 2001, is impressive. Fernando Romero created it in the form of a hyperboloid decorated with 16,000 aluminum plates. The idea was realized by Frank Gehry and Ove Arup.

Inside is a cultural institute, as well as a private collection of art from Europe and Mexico. It is here that the most extensive collection of Rodin's works outside of France is collected.

Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia

The Hermitage in St. Petersburg since 1764 impresses with its imperial grandeur. The former palace contains 3 million pieces of art, many of which are priceless.

The project of the former palace complex belongs to the Italian Rastrelli, who loved lush baroque and gilding.

Museum of Islamic Art, Qatar

The unusual cubic five-story museum in Doha Harbor opened in 2008. The author of the project, American Bei Yuming, traveled all over the Middle East in his old age to gain inspiration for such a project. At the time of opening, the architect was 91 years old.

A small courtyard has been created in the center of the museum, which connects both wings. The building exhibits a collection of items from the Muslim world, covering 1400 years of history.

Vatican Museums

These museums were founded in the 16th century by Julius II, the most famous places of the complex are the Sistine Chapel, the Tapestry and Map Galleries. There are 52 galleries in total. The walls of the rooms are painted by Renaissance masters: Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Perugino. The Vatican has the most extensive collections of religious subjects; paintings by Titian, Raphael, Caravaggio are kept here.

National Art Museum in Tokyo, Japan

In 2004, this museum in Tokyo received a new building, conceived by Cesar Pelli in the form of steel stalks of bamboo and reeds intertwined by the wind. It is noteworthy that most of the halls, except for the entrance and foyer, are located underground. The core of the collection is post-war art.

Butterflies, of course, know nothing about snakes. But birds that hunt butterflies know about them. Birds that don't recognize snakes are more likely to...

Everyone has their own idea of ​​beauty, and many museums fit different definitions.

Good museums become part of their environment, using natural materials or surfaces with changing light.

Many beautiful museums in themselves decorate the area where they are located, attracting tourists from all over the world.

Here are some of the most beautiful museums in the world:

MAS Museum, Antwerp, Belgium

The architects Neutelings and Riedijk gave this riverside museum a distinctive modern look with red sandstone brought from India and window panes. The design of the museum is reminiscent of the warehouses used in the old port of Antwerp. Also, if you take a closer look at the 60-meter building of the museum, you will see 3185 silver hands - the symbol of Antwerp. A vertical "boulevard" - several elevators that follow the glass spiral of the building, offering stunning views of the harbor and rooftop from all levels and leading to the rooftop, open until midnight.

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, USA

The original limestone building, with its bulky neoclassical design, dates back to the 1930s. In 2007, this museum was updated with a modern extension in the form of five cubes or "lenses" made of clear glass. Designed by Steven Holl, these "lenses" blend in with the surrounding landscape, following the curves of the lawn.

Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar

The Museum of Islamic Art is beautiful with its simple yet dynamic design that echoes traditional Islamic architecture. Pale sand-colored stone blocks form a five-story tower that casts long shadows as night falls. A row of palm trees and a waterfall lead to the entrance of the museum, which was built in the harbor on a private artificial island.

National Museum of Art, Osaka, Japan

While most of this museum is underground, the visible glass and steel exterior makes a lasting impression, curving 50m into the air. Renowned architect César Pelli wanted to depict bamboo reeds swaying in the wind, although his creation is still compared to wings. The play of light flows into the lobby, creating an ever-changing gallery space, isolated by a concrete wall about 3 meters thick.

Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada

Local architects Darling and Pearson introduced the original museum in the Italian Neo-Romantic style in 1914. It has gone through several refurbishments and additions, but it wasn't until 2007 that it sparked real controversy with the debut of the new "The Crystal" design. The museum's gem collection inspired Daniel Libeskind's deconstructivist design of five interconnected prisms made from steel beams, aluminum and glass. Some were shocked by the innovation, while others welcomed the bold decision.

Geggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain

When the museum, designed by Frank Gehry, was opened in 1997 and draws attention with its swirling and reflective walls, it immediately became one of Spain's most popular attractions. The building is made of glass, limestone and titanium panels that look like fish scales. Their organic curves have been designed to trap light, and the 15-meter atrium is partially illuminated by light coming from a "metal flower" located on the roof of the building.

Hedmark Museum, Hamar, Norway

The Hedmark Museum is located on 1.6 sq. kilometers near Lake Mjesa and is an open-air exhibition, a restored 18th-century house and a herb garden. But the real jewel of the museum are the ruins of the cathedral, built in 1150, which were partially destroyed in 1567. Four large arches that have survived to this day are under a floating triangle of glass and steel. This place has become popular for weddings and other events, so you may have to wait a while before going inside.

Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia

One of the oldest museums in the world, founded by Catherine the Great in 1764, is a complex of six buildings located between the Neva River and Palace Square. The Winter Palace appears in its grandeur, occupying a whole block, where, according to some calculations, there are about 1945 windows. The former imperial residence is decorated with two tiers of columns, golden domes and luxurious galleries in the Baroque and Rococo styles.

Milwaukee Museum of Art, Milwaukee, USA

The Abstract Object The Modernist Struggle Memorial Center, which later became the Milwaukee Museum of Art, was designed by renowned architect Eero Saarinen. It is made in the form of a cross of concrete and steel, and seems to be floating on a pedestal. One of the hallmarks of the museum is the Cuadracci Pavilion, a post-modern architectural creation with props and a vaulted ceiling that features a 66-meter-span movable sunshade in the form of wings. At certain times of the day, the wings open, and at night or in inclement weather they fold.

Oscar Niemeyer Museum, Curitiba, Brazil

The official name of the museum was given in honor of the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, who is already 95 years old, but is most often called the Museum of the Eye due to its shape. The Eye, a glass extension completed in 2002, rests on an 18 meter yellow pole, and the Eye itself can be reached by a long curved ladder. The constantly changing reflection of the sky on the outer surface of the glass and the reflecting pond create an indescribable view. A curved tunnel under a body of water connects the extension to the original Niemeyer building, completed in 1967.

Musee d'Orsay, Paris

Originally opened as a railway station in 1900, this elegant building on the left bank of the Seine only officially became a museum in 1986. Fortunately, the station's original architectural embellishment and majestic Beaux Arts arches still remain. Inside, curved barrel-shaped glass ceilings allow natural light to fill the sculptures in the main hall. Here, you can stop at a cafe to see the Seine through a huge metal clock, a legacy of the railway museum.

Fort Worth Contemporary Museum of Art, USA

The five pavilions surrounding the tranquil reflecting pond were designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando. The building with a flat roof is made of glass panels, the height of which reaches 12 meters. They let in natural light for the exhibits as well as great views of the city. If you decide to visit this museum during the day, you will have the opportunity to see more than 2,600 works of modern art, but if you pass by the museum at night, for example, by booking a table in a nearby cafe, you can admire the pavilions, which are lit up like huge floating lanterns.

National Museum of Australia, Canberra, Australia

Designed by architect Howard Raggatt, this colorful museum resembles a knotted rope that symbolically connects several different nations and a country's history. The entrance to the museum is located in the center of the knot, and one of its rear ropes makes up the Uluru line, a 29-meter loop sculpture. The outer part of the museum, which has a semicircular shape, is covered with aluminum panels on which words are written in Braille.

Solomon Guggenheim Museum, New York, USA

The spiral concrete museum, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is a triumph of modern architecture. However, in the 1950s, its design was so foreign that it was commissioned to a builder experienced in building garages. Smooth spirals are platforms in the interior of the museum and lead visitors from one exhibition to another, allowing you to admire unique pieces of art. Although the building itself is considered a real work of art, being a kind of inverted ziggurat, some artists find this museum a difficult place to exhibit their work.

Incredible Facts

Everyone has their own idea of ​​beauty, and many museums fit different definitions.

Good museums become part of their environment, using natural materials or surfaces with changing light.

Many beautiful museums in themselves decorate the area where they are located, attracting tourists from all over the world.

Here are some of the most beautiful museums in the world:

MAS Museum, Antwerp, Belgium

Architects Neutelings(Neutelings) and Ridijk(Riedijk) gave this riverside museum a distinctive modern look with red sandstone brought from India and window panes. The design of the museum is reminiscent of the warehouses used in the old port of Antwerp. Also, if you take a closer look at the 60-meter building of the museum, you will see 3185 silver hands - the symbol of Antwerp. A vertical "boulevard" - several elevators that follow the glass spiral of the building, offer stunning views of the harbor and the roof from all levels and lead to the roof, open until midnight.

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, USA

The original limestone building, with its bulky neoclassical design, dates back to the 1930s. In 2007, this museum was updated with a modern extension in the form of five cubes or "lenses" made of clear glass. These "lenses" designed Stephen Hall(Steven Holl), form a single whole with the surrounding landscape, repeating the curves of the lawn.

Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar

The Museum of Islamic Art is beautiful with its simple yet dynamic design that echoes traditional Islamic architecture. Pale sand-colored stone blocks form a five-story tower that casts long shadows as night falls. A row of palm trees and a waterfall lead to the entrance of the museum, which was built in the harbor on a private artificial island.

National Museum of Art, Osaka, Japan

While most of this museum is underground, the visible glass and steel exterior makes a lasting impression, curving 50m into the air. Recognized Architect Caesar Pelly(César Pelli) wanted to depict bamboo reeds swaying in the wind, although his creation is still compared to wings. The play of light flows into the lobby, creating an ever-changing gallery space, isolated by a concrete wall about 3 meters thick.

Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada

local architects darling(Darling) and pearson(Pearson) introduced the original Italian Neo-Romantic style museum in 1914. It has gone through several facelifts and additions, but it wasn't until 2007 that it really caused controversy with the debut of the new design" The Crystal The museum's gem collection inspired Daniel Libeskind(Daniel Libeskind) on a deconstructivist design of five interconnected prisms made of steel beams, aluminum and glass. Some were shocked by the innovation, while others welcomed the bold decision.

Geggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain

When the museum was opened in 1997, designed by Frank Gehry(Frank Gehry), which attracts attention with its swirling and reflective walls, it immediately became one of the most popular attractions in Spain. The building is made of glass, limestone and titanium panels that look like fish scales. Their organic curves have been designed to trap light, and the 15-meter atrium is partially illuminated by light coming from a "metal flower" located on the roof of the building.

Hedmark Museum, Hamar, Norway

The Hedmark Museum is located on 1.6 sq. kilometers near the lake Miesa and features an open-air exhibition, a restored 18th-century house and a herb garden. But the real jewel of the museum are the ruins of the cathedral, built in 1150, which were partially destroyed in 1567. Four large arches that have survived to this day are under a floating triangle of glass and steel. This place has become popular for weddings and other events, so you may have to wait a while before going inside.

Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia

One of the oldest museums in the world, founded by Catherine the Great in 1764, is a complex of six buildings located between the Neva River and Palace Square. Winter Palace appears in its grandeur, occupying a whole block, where, according to some calculations, there are about 1945 windows. The former imperial residence is decorated with two tiers of columns, golden domes and luxurious galleries in the Baroque and Rococo styles.

Milwaukee Museum of Art, Milwaukee, USA

abstract object Memorial Center for Modernist Struggle, which later became Milwaukee Art Museum, was created by a famous architect Eero Saarinen(Eero Saarinen). It is made in the form of a cross of concrete and steel, and seems to be floating on a pedestal. One of the hallmarks of the museum is Pavilion Cuadracci, a post-modern architectural creation with struts and vaulted ceiling, which has a movable wing-shaped sunshade with a span of up to 66 meters. At certain times of the day, the wings open, and at night or in inclement weather they fold.

Oscar Niemeyer Museum, Curitiba, Brazil

The official name of the museum was given in honor of the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer(Oscar Niemeyer), who is already 95 years old, but is most often called Museum of the Eye thanks to its shape. The Eye, a glass extension completed in 2002, rests on an 18 meter yellow pole, and the Eye itself can be reached by a long curved ladder. The constantly changing reflection of the sky on the outer surface of the glass and the reflecting pond create an indescribable view. A curved tunnel under a body of water connects the extension to the original Niemeyer building, completed in 1967.

Musee d'Orsay, Paris

Originally opened as a railway station in 1900, this elegant building on the left bank of the Seine only officially became a museum in 1986. Fortunately, the station's original architectural embellishment and majestic Beaux Arts arches still remain. Inside, curved barrel-shaped glass ceilings allow natural light to fill the sculptures in the main hall. Here you can stop at a cafe to see the Seine through a huge metal clock, a legacy of the railway museum.

Fort Worth Contemporary Museum of Art, USA

The five pavilions surrounding a tranquil reflecting pond were designed by a Japanese architect. Tadao Ando(Tadao Ando). The building with a flat roof is made of glass panels, the height of which reaches 12 meters. They let in natural light for the exhibits as well as great views of the city. If you decide to visit this museum during the day, you will have the opportunity to see more than 2,600 works of modern art, but if you pass by the museum at night, for example, by booking a table in a nearby cafe, you can admire the pavilions, which are lit up like huge floating lanterns.

National Museum of Australia, Canberra, Australia

This colorful museum, which was created by the architect Howard Ruggatt(Howard Raggatt) resembles a knotted rope that symbolically connects several different nations and the history of a country. The entrance to the museum is located in the center of the knot, and one of its rear ropes is Uluru line- 29-meter sculpture in the form of a loop. The outer part of the museum, which has a semicircular shape, is covered with aluminum panels on which words are written in Braille.

Solomon Guggenheim Museum, New York, USA

Museum in the form of reinforced concrete spirals, created by Frank Lloyd Wright(Frank Lloyd Wright), is a real triumph of modern architecture. However, in the 1950s, its design was so foreign that it was commissioned to a builder experienced in building garages. Smooth spirals are platforms in the interior of the museum and lead visitors from one exhibition to another, allowing you to admire unique pieces of art. Although the building itself is considered a real work of art, being a kind of inverted ziggurat, some artists find this museum a difficult place to exhibit their work.