It’s not just about housing beauty – it's about being beautiful inside and out.
The prestigious architectural award Prix Versailles has unveiled its 2026 list of the world’s most beautiful museums.
The short list of just seven museums includes one European museum... Read on to find out which one.
About the selection, Jérôme Gouadain, Secretary General of the Prix Versailles, notes: “The World’s Most Beautiful Museums List for 2026 stands out for the quality of its architectural interpretations and staging, elevating the sites with extraordinary narrative power. Together, these museums provide a real illustration of how strength and talent can be revealed through harmony, sensitivity and sharing.”
He adds: “Beyond welcoming their visitors, we hope these places will be sources of inspiration for all those who serve the common good of humanity.”
Feast your eyes on this year’s laureates:
Zayed National Museum
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Designed by: Norman Foster
Science & Technology Museum
Shenzhen, China
Designed by: Zaha Hadid Architects
Xuelei Fragrance Museum
Guangzhou, China
Designed by: Shenzhen Huahui Design
MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives
Tokyo, Japan
Designed by: Kengo Kuma
National Medal of Honor Museum
Arlington, United States
Designed by: Rafael Viñoly
Islamic Civilization Center
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Desgined by: Shavkat Mirziyoyev
And the only EU museum to make the 2026 list:
Lost Shtetl Museum
Šeduva, Lithuania
Designed by: Rainer Mahlamäki
In Yiddish, shtetl means “small town”. It is how Jews referred to their local communities.
The Lost Shtetl Museum, also known as Šeduva Jewish Museum, is a privately owned NGO museum of Jewish history.
Through stories connected to Šeduva, the museum presents the life and traditions of the Jewish families that lives in the town in the Radviliškis dristrict municipality.
Finnish architect Rainer Mahlamäki, who previously designed the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, worked in particular with Enea Landscape Architecture to come 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. The building of "The Lost Shtetl" museum covers an area of more than 3,400 square meters.
Adjacent to the museum, its Memorial Park is an extension of this living monument.
Three of the seven museums on this year’s list will receive the further distinction of a World Title – Prix Versailles, Interior or Exterior. The distinctions will be announced by the end of this year.
