12 of the world's coolest museums from Tel Aviv to Mexico City

Usually people go to museums and galleries to browse the artefacts and paintings inside, but what about the outside? Only this month, the Louvre in Abu Dhabi (finally) opened its doors spurning not just a celebration of what will be on show but of the architecture itself. Twenty-three galleries are housed under a latticed dome - and the building took eight years to construct.

Inspired by the Middle East’s latest cultural addition, we’ve searched out the world’s coolest museums. Expect space-age mania, buildings that look like they’re actually levitating and the fact you'll want to Instagram every single one of them. Obviously.

Louvre, Abu Dhabi

The showstopper of this whole design is undoubtedly the lattice work of the floating dome; 8,000 geometric, cut-out stars mean that dappled light is cast in all different directions over the galleries as the sun moves throughout the day. It's essentially an art installation itself.

Set on an archipelago on the coast of Abu Dhabi, Frenchman Jean Nouvel was the architect behind the building. Speaking about the design, he said that he wanted the building to become a “welcoming world serenely combining light and shadow, reflection and calm.” Reportedly it only cost a cool €600m to construct.

The Niterói Contemporary Art Museum, Rio de Janeiro

Have you ever seen a more space-age like building before? Designed by Oscar Niemeyer and opened in 1996, the building has become one of Rio’s main landmarks. You may recognise it from when Louis Vuitton hosted its Cruise ‘17 show there.

The Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao

It first opened 20 years ago last month, but Spain’s Guggenheim Museum is still regarded as one of the finest examples of architecture in the world today. Designed by Frank Gehry, the man behind the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris as well as Prague’s Dancing House, the building proved so influential it spawned the concept of the “Bilbao effect” - essentially when a building enables a whole area to be culturally regenerated. Since this design, Gehry has repeatedly been referred to as a “starchitect”.

The Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis

Another of Gehry’s neo-futurist designs, the Weisman Art Museum actually sits on the city’s university campus. An amalgamation of stainless steel, cubist-like shapes, the facade is almost always sparkling. Currently, the museum holds more than 25,000 works.

King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture, Saudi Arabia

Yet to open, Saudi Arabia’s new World Culture Centre looks like it will certainly be a contender as one of the world’s coolest buildings. The new space won’t just be a museum but it will also house a cinema, library and auditorium. The building was designed by Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta and - once it’s officially open - we’re expecting it to appear on every design blog and Tumblr worth reading.

Art Museum, Denver

Opened in 2006, the Frederic C. Hamilton Building was actually an extension of Denver’s Art Museum. Designed by Daniel Libeskind, the 146,000 square feet building nearly doubled the museum’s former size. With striking angular juts and huge titanium panels, this is arguably one of Denver’s most iconic buildings.

Design Museum Holon, Tel Aviv

Located in Tel Aviv, Holon is certainly less space-age than many of the others. Made up of rust-red ribbons, the building’s spiralling facade actually creates an optical illusion for viewers. Gallery spaces are juxtaposed and many sections of the property are actually open-air spaces.

Museo Soumaya, Mexico City

A privately owned museum in Mexico City, Museo Soumaya is the brainchild of Fernando Romero. Vast, wide and towering, its aluminium skin is made up from more than 16,000 hexagonal plates. It’s owned by the world’s wealthiest man, Carlos Slim Helú, and it was named after his wife. Some have called it “the flashiest museum in the world”.

The Ordos Museum, Inner Mongolia

Situated in the Gobi Desert in Inner Mongolia, it’s hard not to describe The Ordos Museum as, well, a large blob. The best thing about the building though? It’s not just the outside that looks totally insane, when you go inside each gallery is housed within its very own blob.

Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Dallas

Slightly more severe than it’s space-age counterparts, Perot Museum is admittedly striking with its sharp edges. American firm Morphosis created an “escalator” building of six floors, whereby visitors walk continuously up a single walkway which allows them to see all exhibits.

Museu do Amanhã, Rio de Janeiro

Not unlike a Star Trek film set, Rio’s Museu do Amanhã (Museum of Tomorrow to you and I) is nothing short of epic. Designed by Spanish architect, Santiago Calatrava, it was constructed in the city’s port area in 2015 with the hope that gentrification will follow. Only a decade ago, this was the city’s most deprived district. Calatrava placed sustainability at the heart of his design. Solar panels line the roof and currently supply 9% of the building’s electricity and the museum’s cooling system uses water from the nearby bay.

Riverside Museum of Transport, Glasgow

Famed for her boldly contemporary designs, the late Zaha Hadid is a household name beyond just the architecture industry. Previously called the “queen of the curve” for her geometric buildings, Riverside Museum took on a slightly different form with its zigzag roof. Opened in 2011, the building is now one of the most visited in Glasgow.