Musée des Confluences

The Musée des Confluences features a jagged, gravity-defying roof made of stainless steel and glass that looks like a metallic cloud hovering over the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers. Architect Coop Himmelblau designed the structure to merge a crystal cloud and a stone base. Before this museum opened in two thousand fourteen, the site sat empty for years as a concrete wasteland. Scientists and local officials clashed over whether to showcase local history or global natural science within these walls.