World’s most beautiful museums of 2026 chosen by Prix Versailles

The Prix Versailles has unveiled its list of the world’s most beautiful museums for 2026. The list of seven museums “stands out for the quality of its architectural interpretations and staging, elevating the sites with extraordinary narrative power,” according to Prix Versailles Secretary General Jérôme Gouadain.

In December, three projects from the list will be given additional titles of a World Title – Prix Versailles, Interior, or Exterior. Stay tuned for further upcoming categories, including hotels, restaurants, and airports.

Below, we have published the seven projects comprising the World's Most Beautiful Museums list 2026. You can compare the projects with those of previous years by following our ongoing coverage of the series here.

Zayed National Museum, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates by Foster + Partners

Project excerpt: Rising to a peak height of 123 metres, the museum is immediately recognisable by its five steel towers, inspired by the wings of a falcon in flight. Beyond their aesthetic power, those structures incorporate natural ventilation principles that reinforce the building’s breezy feel. Throughout the interior and exterior, warm white and sandy tones, exposed to natural light, make the museum a point of intersection between land and sky. In other words, it serves as something of a horizon, with the property extending all the way to the coast via Al Masar Garden and fitting into a landscape of alternating desert, oasis and urban scenery.

Science & Technology Museum, Shenzhen, China by Zaha Hadid Architects

Project excerpt: A vast spaceship that seems to embrace the city, its design by Zaha Hadid Architects was guided by a desire to achieve optimal performance in connection with the site’s annual solar radiation, temperatures, humidity, prevailing winds, air quality and other variable conditions of its subtropical climate. A dynamic sequence of outdoor terraces overlooking the park serves as a natural extension of the indoor galleries. The façade – an assembly of 95,000 irregularly shaped stainless steel panels – features a unique colour gradient that transitions from deep blue to various shades of grey, depending on the light.

Xuelei Fragrance Museum, Guangzhou, China by Shenzhen Huahui Design

Project excerpt: The building, devised by Shenzhen Huahui Design, reveals all the work that goes into creating a scent. Its architecture features eight cylindrical spaces made of red brick which form the main body of the museum, in a nod to the processes of distilling and refining raw materials to produce perfumes. This powerful layout supports a smooth visitor journey, like a scent trail running through the space. Inside, sprawling galleries retrace the evolution of fragrance from its ancient ritualistic origins to the latest technological advances. Around 300 interactive smelling stations fuel the sensory experience, finishing with a rooftop garden.

MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives, Tokyo, Japan by Kengo Kuma and Associates

Project excerpt: Thanks to its airy, ethereal structure designed by Kengo Kuma, the museum’s architecture manages to express the evanescent, interdisciplinary nature of its subject, achieved through the employment of fragmented matter, openwork walls, dispersed dim lighting, and varied materials. The ascending spiral façade is composed of wood and layered glass. Inhabited by more than 200 species of plants, it dissolves the boundary between inside and outside, reflecting the transient beauty of the changing seasons.

Lost Shtetl Museum, Šeduva, Lithuania by Rainer Mahlamäki

Project excerpt: Finnish architect Rainer Mahlamäki, working in particular with Enea Landscape Architecture, came up with a unified structure whose dynamic rooftops evoke the silhouette of a small village. Its urban design is arranged in “individual houses”, each presenting a distinct chapter of the exhibition, like so many separate galleries. With its blind gables and its grey tiled exterior, its architecture seems evanescent, shimmering gently in the countryside. Adjacent to the museum, its Memorial Park is an extension of this living monument.

National Medal of Honor Museum, Arlington, United States by Rafael Viñoly Architects

Project excerpt: The steel-clad Exhibition Hall is a monumental space that reflects the strength of character that is forged in combat. That structure is suspended 12 metres in the air above a landscaped “Field of Honor”, a central, open-air courtyard that serves as both threshold and gathering space. From there, sculptural spiral staircases and fully glazed lifts take visitors to immersive galleries, creating a powerful narrative journey through the lives and legacies of medal recipients. Supported by five megacolumns, each representing a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, the museum is bathed in natural light thanks to an oculus at its centre, symbolising the U.S. Space Force.

Islamic Civilization Center, Tashkent, Uzbekistan by Wilmotte & Associés Architectes

Project excerpt: The inspiration for this palace, with its monumental portals, was drawn from the traditions of the Timurid era, symbolised by a majestic dome rising 65 metres in the air. The spectacular Qur’an Hall combines light, sound and multimedia elements to engender a contemplative atmosphere. It embodies the approach that prevailed in the site’s interior design, with the four additional halls dedicated to major historical periods. More than just a monument, the Center is also a major hub for research, education and promotion, including archives, a library, an Islamic academy, a conference room, and reception spaces.