A Look Inside The World's Richest Man's New Museum

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Mar 2nd 2011 at 2:01AM

Last fall we saw video renderings of the plans for the new Soumaya museum planned by Mexico's richest man Carlos Slim. The new branch of the museum named for his late wife is the the second one that he has created. The six-story museum was designed by his son-in-law Fernando Romero. The modern and shiny aluminum structure is composed of over 16,000 tiles. The building has five stories of exhibition space totaling 183,000 square feet with six halls. The AP shot some photos as the museum prepared for its inauguration on March 1 by Mexico's President Felipe Calderon.

Shown above is Auguste Rodin's "The Thinker" at the entrance of the museum. Slim is said to be a great admire of the French sculptor's work and has amassed the largest collection of the French sculptor's work outside of France.

Workers tied up as the museum prepared for its big moment. Rodin's "Three Graces" is shown above. NPR reports that one hall of the museum will show Slim's collection of coins, bills, gold and silver, others will begin over to his collection of portraits, fashion and furniture; works by Da Vinci and El Greco; Impressionist works by Monet, Cezanne, Toulouse Lautrec and Van Gogh; Mesoamerican art; and and modern art.

Spanish artist Salvador Dali's sculpture, "The Triumphant Angel" is on the top floor of the Soumaya Museum's new home. The museum will open ot the public at the end of the month. Admission is free.

Tags: auguste rodin, carlos slim, dali, mexico city, mexico city museum, rodin, salvador dali, soumaya museum