Paris - Arab World Institute

(Local Name: Institut du Monde Arabe) On the banks of the Seine opposite the Pont de Sully in Paris is the Institut du Monde Arabe, a tall rectangular building (completed 1988) with a facade which has the effect of filigree work. This cultural center, established to promote relations between East and West, was designed by Jean Nouvel in a style with reminiscences of Arab architecture. It consists of two slender parallel slabs, nine storys high, housing a library, lecture rooms, a museum and a documentation center. A feature of the building is the fenestration of the south front: square windows reaching the full height of the story with ornamental metal openwork screens filtering light into the rooms. The Museum and Documentation Center, extending over seven storys, give a comprehensive view of the art and culture of the Islamic world, with displays of calligraphy, printed books, coins and astrolabes, valuable carpets, textiles and other everyday objects, including contemporary work. From the restaurant on the roof terrace there are superb views over the Cité to the Arc de Triomphe and on clear days as far as La Défense.