Coming to Marseille to See the Sea

🌊 A Visit to Marseille’s Mediterranean Museum | An Architect’s Perspective on Sea Breezes and Concrete Poetry 📍 Location: MuCEM, Vieux-Port Marseille 📅 April 17, 2025 | ☀️ Clear skies, gentle sea breezes 🌅 Morning: A Building Dancing with the Sea The Vieux-Port was still veiled in mist at dawn, with the outline of white cruise ships moored in the distance—like an unfinished watercolor painting. Strolling along Promenade Robert Laffont, MuCEM’s black concrete structure suddenly came into view: it looked like a reef polished by waves for millennia, yet also like delicate lace floating above the sea.👌 As an architect, I was instantly struck by its fiber-reinforced concrete facade: those seemingly soft, (hollow) patterns are actually a feat of high-strength engineering! Designer Rudy Ricciotti used “concrete lace” to blur the line between heaviness and lightness. Sunlight filters through the grid, casting dappled shadows—like a Mediterranean magic trick with light.❤️ Photography Tip 📸: Stand on the east side of the building for a backlit silhouette shot, with the blue sea and the ancient stone walls of Fort Saint-Jean in the background. The contrast between old and new is stunning! 🕋 Afternoon: A Corridor of Civilizations Through Time Inside the museum, the double-height atrium embraces the sea through glass walls, with light and the sound of waves becoming natural exhibits. The permanent exhibition “Méditerranée” (2024–2026) weaves an epic of diverse civilizations through over 300 artifacts, from ancient Greek pottery to North African embroidery. My favorite? The underwater archaeology section, where walking on glass floors feels like treading the deep blue seabed—shipwrecks and coral coexist, blending history and nature.👌 Architecture Nerd Must-Sees 🔍: Suspended walkways: The interplay of steel frames and concrete mimics the rhythm of ocean waves. Rooftop terrace: 360° panoramic views—Vieux-Port cruise ships, the golden dome of Notre-Dame de la Garde, and the silhouette of Château d’If all in one frame. 🌉 Dusk: An Aerial Footbridge Linking Past and Present Crossing the 130-meter aerial footbridge from the museum’s top floor to Fort Saint-Jean, the shimmering sea beneath your feet and a massive cruise ship slowly entering the harbor in the distance create a vivid scene. The 17th-century stone fortress and MuCEM’s modern lines engage in a dramatic dialogue—proving history isn’t just ruins, but the foundation of new life. 🌌 Night: Magic in the Blue Hour As night falls, MuCEM’s lace-like facade lights up, resembling a floating diamond. The Vieux-Port’s cruise ships glow with neon, echoing the museum’s cool light. #Marseille#BaselArtMoments #SeaAtTheEdgeOfTheWorld #LoveTheSeaLongForTheSky #SeasOfTheWorld #DifferentSeas