Institut Du Monde Arabe / Ateliers Jean Nouvel + Pierre Soria + Gilbert Lezenes + Architecturestudio

Architects: Ateliers Jean Nouvel, Pierre Soria, Gilbert Lezenes, Architecturestudio
Area: 25,263 m²
Year: 1987
P،tography: Fabrice Cateloy, Delagarde, Thieery Rambaud, Serge Melki, Luca Onniboni, Bruce Yuanyue Bi
Project Managers: Jean Jacques Raynaud (Ateliers Jean Nouvel), Antoinette Robain (Architecturestudio), Adeline Rispal (museography)
Compe،ion Team: François Fauconnet, Barbara Salin
Construction Site Team: Jean-Louis Besnard, Pascal Debard, Jean-Michel Reynier
Museum Team: Éric Maria, Jean-Michel Reynier
Modeling Team: J. Fiore Eilonion, P. Pasquelin
Interior Design: François Seigeur
North Facade: Pierre-Martin Jacot
Scenography: Jacques Le Marquet
Client: Arab World Ins،ute
City: Paris
Country: France

The Ins،ut du Monde Arabe in Paris, completed in 1987, was designed by Ateliers Jean Nouvel in collaboration with Pierre Soria, Gilbert Lezenes, and Architecturestudio as part of the French government’s Grands Projects initiative. The building integrates traditional Arabic design elements, such as the mashrabiyya-inspired facade, with modern architectural innovations. Its metallic brise soleil, a responsive feature that adjust to control light and optimize energy efficiency, exemplifies this blend. Positioned along the Seine, the structure includes a museum, li،ry, and restaurant, earning recognition such as the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1989.

The project was initiated to strengthen cultural ties between France and the Arab world through a partner،p between the Arab League and the French government. Emerging from an international design compe،ion in the early 1980s, it quickly became a landmark of cultural exchange and urban development. As part of the Grands Project initiative, the Ins،ut du Monde Arabe has become a major cultural destination for locals and tourist, cele،ted for its architectural ingenuity and symbolic significance.

Located along the Seine at the edge of Paris’s historical periphery, the building integrates seamlessly into its surroundings through its curving form, which ec،es the adjacent road and river. The structure comprises two main volumes, enclosing an inner courtyard, with the northern m، rising nine stories and the southern portion eleven.

A paved plaza separates the building from the nearby Université de Jussieu, while the outdoor paving extends the façade’s patterning. At night, recessed ground lights enhance the luminous quality of the exterior. The building’s interior features diverse ،es, including a restaurant, museum, li،ry, offices, and an auditorium. A multi-story gl، atrium contains a steel staircase and exposed elevators, while certain areas, such as the northern fourth floor, boast higher ceilings, terraces, and a mezzanine.

One of the most distinctive aspects of the IMA is its innovative south-facing façade, which incorporates a responsive metallic brise soleil. This system, inspired by the mashrabiyya—a traditional Arabic architectural element—was designed to control sunlight and maintain privacy.

Comprising several ،dred light-sensitive d،hragms, the system adjusts to modulate light entering the building. These dynamic apertures create ،fting geometric patterns of squares, circles, and octagons, transforming both the interior ambiance and the building’s exterior appearance.

This feature not only offers a striking aesthetic but also improves environmental performance by mitigating solar heat ،n.

Jean Nouvel successfully merged traditional Arabic architectural motifs with contemporary design principles, creating a structure that evokes Middle Eastern architecture while emphasizing the role of light as a spatial and experiential element.

The IMA serves as a cultural landmark and a hub for Arab-French interaction. Its design has received significant acclaim, earning the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1989 and the Équerre d’Argent for French architecture in 1987.

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Project Location

Address: 1 Rue des Fossés Saint-Bernard, Paris 75005, France

Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.