§16§Since the end of the 20th century, an unprecedented§number of remarkable museums have§been built. None have had bigger worldwide implications§than Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum§in Bilbao (1991-97). Until, that is, the new§Musée des Confluences in Lyon was opened§to the public, in late 2014. It was created by§Wolf D. Prix of the Coop Himmelb(l)au team,§which was founded in the 1970s. Many avantgarde§groups from those wild years - such as§Archigram, Superstudio, Archizoom, Haus-Rucker-§Co, and the Japanese Metabolists - are§now consigned to the past, but the Coop Himmelb(§l)au architecture firm, whose special aspiration§was always to bring into the world buildings§that overcome the pull of the earth - buildings§"to float on the horizon like clouds" - is§more in demand than ever.§The finest demonstration of this endeavour to§date can now be admired in Lyon. Functioning§as a museum of human history, this impressive§concrete, metal and glass colossus truly does§appear to float above §16§the peninsula at the confluence§of the Rhône and the Saône. Like the§Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, this new building,§so impossible to overlook, is an inspiration§for the revitalisation of disrupted urban areas and§the valorisation of derelict industrial areas - within§the city precincts, but also far beyond Lyon.§This Opus volume deals with the origins, construction,§function and formal appearance of the§Musée des Confluences, and also offers a preliminary§theoretically based evaluation of the architecture§of the building.§Frank R. Werner was professor of history and§architecture theory at the Staatliche Akademie§der Bildenden Künste Stuttgart from 1990 until§1994 and director of the Institut für Architekturgeschichte§und Architekturtheorie at the Bergische§Universität in Wuppertal from 1993 until his retirement§in 2012. He studied painting, architecture§and history of architecture in Mainz, Hanover and§Stuttgart. Christian Richters studied communication§design at the Folkwangschu §16§le in Essen. He§is one of the most sought-after architecture photographers§in Europe. To date he has been represented§in the Opus series by 13 volumes, including§ones about the embassies of the Nordic§countries and the Bode Museum in Berlin, the§Nieuwe Luxor Theater in Rotterdam and the§BMW Welt in Munich.§See also: Opus 66. Coop Himmelb(l)au, BMW§Welt, München, Edition Axel Menges 2009. §02§After voluntary work with Pan Walther, Christian Richters studied communication design at the Fokwangschule in Essen. He is one of the most sought-after architectural photographers in Europe today. His photographs are to be found in publications like The Architectural Review, Architecture, Bauwelt, Domus, El Croquis, L"Architecture Aujourd'hui and Zodiac.
