The Musée Guimet

The Musée Guimet is a wonderful museum of Asian arts in the 16 district.  It began as the collection of a 19th-century industrialist from Lyon who travelled to Egypt and Asia collecting artifacts; the Egyptian artifacts eventually went to the Louvre, and the Asian collection here has been added to ever since. On the outside, it's a slightly strange Neoclassical building on a triangular site. The inside, however, is elegant and modern. The interior architecture is very well-integrated with the displays without overwhelming the amazing collection. What's more, the staff are quite friendly (!), and---unfortunately rare of the Parisian museums I've seen---the place is spotlessly clean (or "nickel," as they say in France). After the Louvre, this is the best museum I've seen in Paris so far, a surprising and refreshing complement to the Western masterpieces one naturally finds everywhere over here. I haven't checked out the whole museum yet, but I'm definitely returning.

Setting up the atrium with an installation related to a temporary exhibit.

Glimpse into what I think is their research library.