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10 museums that are worth a visit for the interiors alone

After David Adjaye's African American history museum was named Design of the Year, we've trawled our Pinterest boards to find more museums with impressive interiors, from a subterranean Roman temple to a restored textile factory.


unique museum interiors from our Pinterest boards

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, USA by David Adjaye

The interior of Adjaye's museum is crafted from pre-cast concrete, timber and glass. Galleries feature high ceilings and concrete columns, which give an industrial feel to the space.

Find out more about the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture ›


unique museum interiors from our Pinterest boards

London Mithraeum, UK by Local Projects

A subterranean Roman temple was restored to create this museum below Bloomberg's headquarters in London, by the same studio that designed the exhibition for the National September 11 Memorial Museum in New York.

Find out more about the London Mithraeum ›


unique museum interiors from our Pinterest boards

Louvre Abu Dhabi, UAE by Jean Nouvel

Jean Nouvel's Louvre Abu Dhabi features 8,000 metal stars, which overlap to form the geometric pattern of the dome oveheard. Sunlight filters through, throwing flecks of illumination onto the white blocks of the museum's interior.

Find out more about the Louvre Abu Dhabi ›


unique museum interiors from our Pinterest boards

Eight Tenths Garden, China by Wutopia Lab

Shanghai's cylindrical arts museum, inside cultural centre Eight Tenths Gardens, features a double-height gallery space. Enamelware objects, including basins and cups, are arranged around the outskirts of the interior.

Find out more about Eight Tenths Gardens ›


unique museum interiors from our Pinterest boards

Remai Modern Art Museum, Canada by KPMB Architects

The interior space of the Remai Modern Art Museum in Sakatoon, Canada, is arranged around a light-filled atrium with two huge openings, allowing access from both the road and river.

Find out more about the Remai Modern Art Museum ›


unique museum interiors from our Pinterest boards

Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, South Africa by Thomas Heatherwick

Thomas Heatherwick created South Africa's biggest art museum by hollowing out the inside of a historic grain silo building. The interior incorporates a network of 80 gallery spaces, circling around a 27-metre-high grain-shaped atrium.

Find out more about Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa ›


unique museum interiors from our Pinterest boards

Musee Yves Saint Laurent, Morrocco by Studio Kos

This museum's entrance hall has smooth white walls that are designed to evoke the velvet lining of an Yves Saint Laurent couture jacket. The space also features monochromatic stained glass windows, which are inspired by traditional Moroccan-style stained glass.

Find out more about Musee Yves Saint Laurent ›


unique museum interiors from our Pinterest boards

Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, USA by Bruner/Cott & Associates

The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art is situated within a restored old textile manufacturing factory. Cambridge-based Bruner/Cott & Associates kept the original rugged raw brickwork during the restoration project, to ensure the interior reflects the structure's history.

Find out more about the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art ›


unique museum interiors from our Pinterest boards

Guardian Art Centre, China by Ole Scheeren

The 1,700-square-metre gallery space of Ole Scheeren's new Guardian Art Centre incorporates moveable partitions and adaptable ceiling systems into its interior.

Find out more about the Guardian Art Centre ›


unique museum interiors from our Pinterest boards

Skissernas Museum, Sweden by Elding Oscarson

The interior of the Skissernas Museum in Lund, Sweden, features clerestory windows and a reflective ceiling made from a hovering plate of mirrored aluminium. The aim was to create the feeling of an open-air courtyard.

Find out more about Skissernas Museum ›

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