A Walking Tour Paris

Walk along rue des Fossées St-Bernard and the Institute du Monde Arabe will be on your right at the end of the road. This masterpiece of French High-tech architecture is by Jean Nouvel (who is also responsible for the Musée de Quai Branly). It combines modern materials in the spirit of traditional Arab culture and won the prestigious Aga Khan Award. Founded in 1980 as a cultural institution by the French in partnership with 20 Arab countries, it was established to foster cultural ties between the West and the Islamic world. It was also an effort on France’s part to make up for the problematic relationship with former North African colonies.

The building’s south elevation is its most famous feature, consisting of 1,600 high-tech metal screens which act as light filters, they control how much light enters the building. Based on the moucharabiyahs (carved wooden screens) that are found throughout the Arab world, each screen contains 21 electronically-controlled irises which open and close depending on how much light hits their photosensitive cells. The central iris is made up of interlocking metal blades which open and close like the shutter of a camera. When they work, the irises create delicate patterns of light and shade in the building’s interior.

The interior also contains an enclosed courtyard reached by the narrow gap that splits the building in two. From floors four to seven a fascinating display of Islamic artwork is to be seen. Dating from the 9th to the 19th centuries, this includes glassware, ceramics, sculpture, carpets and even astrolabes (a type of astronomical instrument). The white marble book-tower is reminiscent of a mosque’s minaret, while the rest of the building contains a library and media archive. The north façade, facing the Seine, has a stylised silk-screen reproduction of the skyline it faces, which acts as a sort of mirror to this part of the city. The south side opens onto the plaza connecting the institute to the Jussieu Campus.