Institute of the Arab World

building, Paris, France

Also known as: IMA, Institut du Monde Arabe

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July 19, 2026

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The Institute of the Arab World (IMA) is a cultural institution in Paris, France, dedicated to fostering knowledge of Arab culture. Designed by architect Jean Nouvel, it received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1989.1

The IMA's purpose is to spread awareness of Arab culture in France and Europe, serving as a hub for scientific and technological exchanges. Its distinctive architecture features a geometric steel and glass facade that reflects the Parisian skyline across the Seine River. The building incorporates a screen of light-sensitive diaphragms, inspired by the traditional Arab moucharabieh latticework, and plays with light, reflections, and shadows in its interior spaces.1

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Jean Nouvel
…audience in 1987 when the Institute of the Arab World (Institut du Monde Arabe [IMA]) was completed. The main, south facade of that building, with its high-tech aperture-like panels, manages to be at once cutting-edge in its creative response to changing levels of light and evocative of traditional Arab moucharaby…
Read More
…audience in 1987 when the Institute of the Arab World (Institut du Monde Arabe [IMA]) was completed. The main, south facade of that building, with its high-tech aperture-like panels, manages to be at once cutting-edge in its creative response to changing levels of light and evocative of traditional Arab moucharaby…
Read More