The Musée des Confluences is a museum of natural history, anthropology, societies and civilizations located in Lyon in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Heir to the Guimet Natural History Museum in Lyon, it is housed in a deconstructivist-style building by the Coop Himmelb(l)au architectural firm from 20142, in the La Confluence district, on the southern tip of the Presqu ile de Lyon, at the confluence of the Rhône and the Saône (2nd arrondissement of Lyon).
He takes over the collections and aims to complete his collection with acquisitions. It is the subject of deposits and loans from museums and various institutions (art and culture museums, botanical gardens, foundations, religious congregations, etc.) for its temporary and permanent exhibition spaces. The museum has an activity oriented towards scenography (cooperation with musical performance halls and theatres) and has begun that of publisher of books (novels around some famous objects from its collection in collaboration with authors of literary texts or drawings and photographs).
The declared project is that of entertaining and artistic pedagogy, "the confluences of knowledge", at the same time as an architectural signal of the city gate. It is associated with the crossing of the two rivers and put together with urban bridges. The “confluence” garden makes it possible to connect the walks established on the banks of the Saône to those of the Rhône in the new urban planning of the city ecosystem. This museum is managed by the agglomeration which has become the metropolis of Lyon with a departmental structure.
In May 2011, the Musée des Confluences was awarded the designation “Musée de France” by the Ministry of Culture and Communication.