MuCEM (Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations)

The Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations (muCEM) is a national museum based in Marseille, France. The museum is realised at the entrance to the harbour, right on the water’s edge with sweeping westward views of the setting sun, next to the historic 17th-century Fort Saint-Jean. These two building are being separated by a channel and are reconnected by a high footbridge which can be reached from the rooftop terrace on the located on the rooftop of the museum. The building was designed by the architect Rudy Ricciotti. The design contains a cubic floor plan surrounded by a latticework façade of UHPC (Ultra High Perfromance Concrete) which presented a challenging task for the engineering team of this project. In order to hold up the concrete façade, the engineering team, led by the son of Ricciotti, had to think through a complex system which consists of non-linear post-tensioning with cables running through all the columns. Finally completed in 2013, this masterpiece of a building brings extra value to the harbour of Marseille and is a must-see for visitors of the city.