Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Musée des Confluences, located in Lyon in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, is a museum of natural history, anthropology and civilizations. Heir to the Musée Guimet, it opened its doors in 2014 in a building designed by Coop Himmelb(l)au, at the confluence of the Rhône and the Saône. Its deconstructivist architecture, composed of three sets (Socle, Crystal, Cloud), makes it an urban symbol.

The museum takes over the collections of the Musée Guimet, enriched by acquisitions, deposits and loans from various institutions. His permanent exhibitions, divided into four thematic spaces (Origins, Species, Societies, Eternities), present emblematic objects such as Choulans' mammoth or No. The aim is to combine pedagogy, art and knowledge.

The project, launched in 1999, experienced major delays and budget overruns, from 61 million to 330 million euros. Inaugurated in 2014, the museum is managed by an EPCC (Etablissement public de coopération culturel) including the Métropole de Lyon and ENS de Lyon. Since its opening, it has welcomed more than 5 million visitors, becoming the first museum in the region.

The museum's architecture, with its daring door-to-doors and stained glass spaces, offers panoramic views of Lyon. The Cristal, a free space, connects the banks of the Rhône and the Saône, while the Cloud houses the exhibitions. The museum also includes an accessibility dimension for people with disabilities.

The collections from the Museum of Lyon have more than 2 million objects, some of which are stored off site. Temporary exhibitions, such as L'Oiseau rare (2022), attract a diverse family audience. The museum is served by public transport, with a dedicated tram station since 2014.

In 2018, a new species of beetle, Capezoum musiconfluentiarum, was named in tribute to the museum. Despite criticism of management and costs, the Musée des Confluences remains a major cultural place, combining architectural innovation and knowledge dissemination.

Collection

Le Musée héberge un très grand nombre d'objets de collections. Tous ne sont pas exposés. Ils se trouvent alors au Centre de Conservation et d'Etudes des Collections (CCEC) du Musée des Confluences.

Temporary exposure

Actuellement, le musée présente:
- "Touaregs", qui fermera ses portes début novembre, et sera remplacé en décembre par "Coléoptères"
- "Hugo Pratt, lignes d'horizons" qui permet de comprendre comment des objets de musée, dessinés dans une bande dessinée, peuvent faire voyager les lecteurs
- "Yokainoshima, esprits du Japon" qui allie les collections bouddhistes (ramenées par Emile Guimet), shinto (rapportées par les Oeuvres Pontificales missionnaires) et les photographies contemporaines de Charles Fréger afin d'appréhender la spiritualité japonaise et son impact contemporain.
- "Fêtes himalayennes, les derniers Kalash" qui ouvrira ses portes le 23 octobre et présentera donc un peuple polythéiste et chamaniste à la frontière de l'Afghanistan et du Pakistan.

External links