Musée des Confluences

Lonely Planet review

Watch this space for the incredible Musée des Confluences, a spacey science- and society-focused museum set to open in 2008. As much stunning piece of contemporary architecture as museum, it will be housed in a futuristic steel-and-glass transparent crystal topped by a floating 'cloud'. Inside, three of the 10 vast exhibition areas will grapple with eternal questions like 'Where do we come from?', 'Where are we going?' and 'Who are we and what are we doing?'.

Remaining spaces will home in on hot issues of the future - cloning, genetically modified organisms, global warming and so on. Two auditoriums, a café, restaurants, shop and riverside garden will complete the ambitious cultural ensemble, the creation of world-famous Austria-based architect agency Coop Himmelb(l)au.